Slayers: The Ancient Temple of Kuroryu
by Eveshka
Summary: Lina and Company are hungry and broke. As such, they take a job in a small town: find the missing princess. Little do they know what adventures lay before them! Old friends return and new ones are made, old enemies make new attempts, and new allies come t


**An Ancient Ruin by a Wayside Town,**   
**A Missing Princess**   
**Five Hundred Gold?!?!**

Children who grow up with an overactive imagination have a predisposition for getting into trouble. Those same children growing up near an ancient temple ruin are almost guaranteed to trouble.   
Zhiya was bored, having just escaped her daily needlework lesson and slipped out to the green fields by the ruin. The Gate was always open to her, but more often now, the voices were quiet, those spirits who still somehow resided within the ruins silent. It made for even more boring afternoons.   
As she was sitting there on a smooth rock, the merest spark of an idea came to her: what if she were to go into the ruin and see why the voices had stopped? But… weren't they ruins for a reason? Something about the Mazoku and the Koma War? Suddenly it seemed all the more interesting. The Elders wouldn't talk much about it, maybe the ruin itself held the secrets of history…   
She slid down off of her perch and started back into the town. She had some things to gather and pack first.   
"Ano… I'm hungry!" The redheaded sorceress whined at her blonde companion, hanging her head. They'd been walking with their other two (sometimes three) companions for several days without seeing so much as anything close to being called a town. They'd been living off of the fish in the river that ran parallel to the road – until the river had turned and the road had not. It had only been a few hours since they had left the river behind, but Lina was already whining. She was good at it.   
The little group came to a halt, Lina looking around her with a disconsolate expression. "I'm hungry and there's nothing but woods!"   
"Not exactly," came Zelgadis' reply. Within moments of the group stopping, he had climbed a tree and was looking forwards through the woods. "There is a town ahead, and not too far off from the town is what appears to be a ruin of some age."   
Instantly Lina was a cheerful and rapidly running figure along the road. "Town! Food! Ruins! Treasure!!"   
Zelgadis swung out of the tree, shaking his head at the vanishing sorceress. Some things never changed. Looking after Lina (and now Gourry) for a moment more, he turned to Amelia. "We'd better catch up. If we don't, there will be no food left for us."   
Amelia nodded solemnly, then they both started off at a dead run after the two who were leaving them behind.   
The town was small, a moderate tavern on one side of the main road, and a hole-in-the-wall restaurant on the other. Fortunately, the restaurant was open. There wasn't much of a selection, but there was enough food for the four hungry travelers.   
As they were eating, a bell began to ring from outside the restaurant.   
"Mmph. Wonder what that is…" Lina mused with a mouth full of food.   
Amelia put down her drink and shrugged, looking out the window. "I don't know, Miss Lina, but there are a lot of people gathering over there…"   
The door to the restaurant flew open and a rather overweight older gentleman came in, followed by a scrawny looking youth. He seemed to focus on the little band of travelers immediately and hurried to their table, the youth straggling behind, as if he didn't want to be there.   
"Are you for hire?" The elderly man said, looking at the group. The redheaded girl didn't look like much, but the blonde guy beside her had a sword. The petite dark-haired girl looked up from her plate and seemed to be considering, while the fourth individual at the table turned away, as if uninterested, cloak drawn up over his head.   
The redheaded girl swallowed and looked at the arrivals with a blank curiosity on her face. "I'd say that it depends."   
"Depends?" The old man asked.   
The redhead nodded. "Yeah. On what we have to do… and how much it pays."   
The youth behind the older gentleman facefaulted and turned, as if to go.   
Reaching behind him to grab the youth and keep him from leaving, the old man gritted his teeth. Both young ones needed a few lessons, but he didn't have the time. "The Princess Zhiya has gone missing."   
"Hold it right there," the redhead said, putting up a hand to silence him. "I'm not a babysitting service. I don't go looking for lost little girls in big spooky ruins. It's not what I do." And she turned back to her plate of food.   
The old man spluttered. "But she's the Princess! And the ruins are dangerous." There was a pause. "And the reward is one hundred gold pieces."   
The girl simply picked up her goblet and started to drink. No one else at the table moved.   
"Fine. Two hundred gold pieces," the old man said.   
The redhead put down the goblet. The blonde man looked at her, but didn't say anything.   
"Five hundred gold pieces if you rescue my sister!" The youth blurted out.   
Everyone turned and stared, even the cloaked figure had turned to set chilling blue eyes on the pair.   
The old man wanted to kill the Prince. This was what he had to train to be a man. Careless with appearance, even more careless with money… but the offer had been spoken.   
"Well… I'm sure that she's scared, and since you seem to care so much about your sister… and an old ruin shouldn't go ignored, eh Zel?" The redhead glanced across the table, then turned to the pair again. "We'll take it. Which way to the ruins, and where can we get supplies?"   
The old man sighed. Such groups always wanted extras, even after extortionist fees. "Go to the side door of the weapons shop and tell them that Augerty sent you. The ruin is past the East Gate of the town. You can't miss it." His eyes settled on the petite dark-haired girl with the amulet. "Watch yourself. They say that those who use magic can hear the voices of the mages who died in battles there. My own daughter was very near your age when the voices drove her to the water."   
Amelia opened her mouth, but the old man turned, forcing the youth in front of him. "Find her quickly, if you would. The Princess is not accustomed to nights that are chilled."   
With that, the pair left.   
Lina rose from the table and settled her sword at her hip. "So. Let's go."   
As the group headed off towards the East Gate, they considered that the old man had told them.   
"Voices. What kind of voices do you think they are, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked, looking towards the East Gate.   
Lina shrugged. "I don't know, Amelia. I've never heard voices that weren't explainable one way or the other. I mean, half the mysterious voices I've heard are either some local prankster or on odd occasion a true spirit. In any case, I'm sure that any voices we may hear will end up being the same… if there are even any voices at all."   
Amelia nodded thoughtfully, offering nothing more.   
When they got to the Gate, they discovered that it was a truly massive stone archway with a heavily wrought iron gate. Not surprisingly, it was closed, but they didn't expect it to have a singularly imposing inscription worked into the iron, written in a language older than they were.   
Lina puzzled over the words for a moment, shaking her head. "I have no idea what this says." She pushed at the Gate, but it didn't budge.   
Gourry, for once, didn't even bother to look at the words, but busied himself trying to climb the stone wall. Each time he hit the ground, he got up and tried again. Ignoring him, Amelia peered at the words, and shook her head as well. "I don't understand it either, Miss Lina."   
"Know this: Beyond this Gate lies the way to Kuroryu."   
Lina, Amelia, and Gourry (once he picked himself off of the ground yet again) all turned to look at Zelgadis – who had been silent up until now.   
"Keep going, Zel." Lina said quietly.   
The chimera stepped forward to read the rest of the script. "By this Gate you may pass only by way of invitation. Then you will know."   
Zelgadis paused. "That's all it says."   
"Only by invitation. Okay then…levitation!" Flying into the air, Lina approached the Gate, but was held back by a force that she had not encountered before. Landing, she frowned. "That's a magic barrier…" Aiming a finger, she cast a fireball towards the Gate.   
The smoke cleared – the Gate was still there, closed.   
"I don't get it! Why isn't the Gate opening? We were invited, after all." Lina said.   
"Were we?" Zelgadis asked. "I seem to recall us being told to go there, Lina."   
"The only way to get through the Gate is to be invited by someone on the other side of it."   
"Yeah, well how do we get anyone on the other side of the Gate to invite us in?" Lina asked, then looked at her companions as they stared at her.   
"Um… Miss Lina? Who were you talking to?" Amelia asked cautiously.   
Lina's eyes shifted from one member of the group to the other. "You mean… you didn't hear that? None of you heard that?"   
Three heads shook in negation. Only Zelgadis didn't look too surprised that Lina should be the one to hear voices.   
"They can't hear me, no. But I shall invite you into the ruins, Lina Inverse."   
Lina folded her arms, turned away from the Gate, and again addressed the unknown. "Sorry, I'm a package deal. Where I go, they go."   
"Then all of you are invited. Come…"   
The lock on the Gate twitched, then fell open, allowing exit of the town and approach to the ruins.   
"It's open." Zelgadis said, pointing.   
Lina didn't need to be told twice. She was through the Gate in a moment, turning to hold it open lest the spirit or whatever it was change its mind. But the others followed so quickly that it really wasn't an issue.   
"I sure hope that we can get back to the town. It doesn't look like there's much to eat along the way." Gourry said.   
"You didn't have to remind me," Lina muttered, narrowing her eyes as she set her gaze to the ruins.   
"We'd better get moving. The sooner we find the Princess…" Zelgadis began.   
"The sooner we're back in the town," Lina finished.   
That was all it took to get the little group moving towards the ruins. 

Zhiya wandered the crumbling halls, looking with blank curiosity at the images on the walls. She understood that the images were of the Koma War, but the writing was totally lost to her.   
"I don't understand. The pictures are so vivid… but without the words… I know that I'm looking at something important in our history. But I want to understand the meaning behind it."   
Stony silence was the only reply that she got.   
She sighed. "That's right. I'm here to prove myself. And I suppose that means learning the language."   
A vague sort of approval filtered through her mind, and she walked over to the wall with the most writing and sat with a smirk. Drawing out a tablet and stylus, she opened to a blank page and began to copy down symbols.   
"You realize, of course, that I have nothing to relate this to. The oldest writing I know is only a few hundred years old. Nothing from the Koma War is in my town. It isn't allowed" She commented to no-one and everyone.   
She knew that she wasn't talking to herself. There were others there, but she was being tested. The others weren't allowed to help her out. She had to figure it out on her own.   
Her hand drifted up to the locket on her necklace. Often when she thought hard, she tugged at her necklace, as if trying to draw something from the family crest and the aged photo of her mother.   
Unconsciously, she opened the locket and stared at the photo within. A glimmer of something caught her attention, and she turned her focus to the family crest. The words encircling it were the same as on the walls. The words that she knew so well…   
"Proud Stands God's Warriors."   
It was a start. But what symbols meant what? She shook her head and sighed. "Mama… I wish that you could have taught me…"   
There was a swirling of magic, and she saw the words on the locket shimmer and seem to lift off the gold and join with their counterparts on the wall. Slowly, the other words began to glow as well, and she began to make sense of the words.   
As she began reading the words and starting to understand the story, more and more words began to glow. So lost in the magic of working the translation was Zhiya that she completely lost track of time.   
She sat back, looking at the wall. It was starting to come clear to her, but she was so very, very tired. Yawning, she tilted her head and considered her travel pack. _Not much food left – hope this test doesn't last much longer._   
Pulling out a small loaf of bread, she leaned against the wall and chewed thoughtfully. "So… this is related to Court Royal Speech. Too bad I haven't been able to learn it. But there's something odd about it. It's like a different dialect of Court Kuroryu. Or… is Court Kuroryu a dialect of this? Is that it? I mean, I know that we're named for the Ruins… but was it originally named for those who lived here?"   
There was a vague sense of affirmation.   
"So who were they…? Or will this tell me in the end?" Her eyelids started to slowly close. Sleep was taking over and she spent a moment to realize that she hadn't slept since the day she snuck out to the ruins.   
Then the moment was gone, and so was she. 

The guardian who had been watching her drew the soft blanket of warmth around the Daughter of Kuroryu and settled in to watch her sleep and keep her safe.   


* * *

**The Ruins of Kuroryu**   
**A History Lesson?**   
**Let the Tests Begin!**

It was dark when the little group finally made it to the doors of the Ancient Ruin and straggled to a halt just outside. The huge iron doors looked terribly imposing and Lina frowned, folding her arms and eying the overly large gates.   
"Those look heavy. I doubt that your average person could open them. Tell me, Zel… who do you think those doors were meant to be opened by?"   
Zelgadis considered for a moment before offering a reply. "Obviously they were meant to be opened by someone strong and large. I would say…"   
"A dragon," finished an annoyingly familiar voice.   
Lina turned, glowering. "Xellos! Where the hell have you been? And how do you know about this place?"   
Xellos settled his staff beside him and shrugged. "I know of the place, shall we say."   
Lina's eyes narrowed. "You'd better explain. How do you know of this place?"   
"Ah…" Xellos murmured. "That… is a secret."   
Lina reached out and almost absently beat Xellos into the ground that he stood upon. "Idiot."   
Xellos picked himself up out of the hole that Lina had put him in and scratched the back of his head. "So I'm often told…"   
"Then tell me now how you know this place. Tell me what this place is, and who lived here."   
Xellos shook his head. "I can't. I'm not allowed, Lina. All that I may do is open this door and allow you to enter Kuroryu. From there, you must make your own decisions."   
"What do you mean, Xellos?" Lina said dangerously.   
Xellos sighed. "I mean that you'll find your missing Princess inside. However, they won't let her go so easily."   
"They?" Zelgadis asked.   
"They."   
The doors swung open and all of a sudden, Lina Knew. Knew as much as if she had been in the know the entire time. Them. Those who had lived long ago and now still lived within the ancient halls, walked the ancient floors and waited for someone to come and learn the story that they had to tell. It chilled her to the core, but she walked calmly into the large chamber.   
"Let's go guys. If what I think is the case, we'll be allowed the night to sleep, but after that… there's no telling what will happen."   
Xellos simply faded into the shadows, sighing softly. This was one instance where he wouldn't have any fun… and he wasn't allowed to help her. Her. That was something that he would have to figure out one day, why he always wanted to pick on her…   
He'd figure it out later. 

Morning dawned brightly on the sleeping figure of the missing princess, and she sat up, yawning. While she had slept, the spell had continued its job, and the writing on the wall was as familiar to her as her own native tongue. This was indeed an ancient ruin, but it had also been a temple for the ancient race known as Kuroryu.   
"Kuroryu… but who were they? That's what I don't understand. What happened to them? Where did they go?"   
"The Kuroryu were a proud race of dragons who had the misfortune to be powerful," a female voice answered.   
Zhiya turned and looked at the group of people who stood in the doorway. "How do you know? What do you know about them?"   
The redheaded woman put her hands on her hips. "Enough to know that little girls shouldn't tangle with them on her own. So why are you here?"   
Zhiya looked away. "You don't look like an adult, but you certainly talk like one."   
Lina glowered, but Zelgadis put a hand on her shoulder. "Lina… now is not the time to be sensitive about that."   
"Yeah, what do you know, Zel?" Lina muttered before looking to the princess again. "Look, I know a lot about this because I knew one of them. You're the Princess Zhiya, right?"   
Zhiya narrowed her eyes and nodded. "Who are you?"   
"I'm Lina Inverse. Your brother sent me to bring you home safely."   
The princess wrinkled her nose. "My brother? Are you sure that it wasn't Old Man Augerty and not my wimpy big brother Ellmu?"   
Lina's eyes grew round and she stepped back a moment as the thought ran through her head. "Ellmu? Hell, if /my/ name were Ellmu, I'd be a wimp too!"   
Quickly, Lina righted herself and looked at the princess. "It was Augerty's idea, but your brother offered five hundred gold."   
Zhiya stomped her foot. "That little twerp! He knows good and well that I'm worth more than five hundred gold! How much was Augerty offering?"   
Lina, disbelieving, muttered the answer. "Two hundred gold."   
"TWO HUNDRED?" Zhiya hollered. "Why, I ought to go back and fry them!" A red aura began to form around her, and Lina stepped sideways towards Gourry.   
"Gosh, Lina. She's even more frightening than you are!" Gourry whispered.   
Lina put her elbow into Gourry's side. "Watch it."   
Amelia stepped forwards and looked at Zhiya. "As the Princess of Sailune, I have to agree. Us Princesses are worth much more than that!"   
Lina hung her head. "Amelia… now is not the time to be going off on how much you're worth. It just isn't."   
Amelia stopped, the blue aura fading from around her. "You're right, Miss Lina. We need to get Miss Zhiya out of here."   
Zhiya planted her feet firmly on the ground. "I'm not going anywhere. If I'm not worth it to them, I'm staying here where I'm appreciated."   
"Appreciated? Look around you, princess. All I see are old walls and crumbling ceilings." Lina countered.   
Zhiya folded her arms. "You look around. Can't you see them? The Old Ones who are here, waiting to tell their story? You said you knew one of them. Is that one here?"   
Lina sighed, and looked around, casting about with her eyes and her mind. There. Yes, Ancient Black Dragons. At least a dozen of them. And they were all aware of her.   
"Zel…? Do you sense them?" Lina whispered.   
Almost imperceptibly, Zelgadis nodded. This could get nasty if the Ancient Dragons chose to make it so.   
"No… he isn't here," Lina answered calmly. She knew full well that Valgarv was safely in Filia's home, the last living representative of the Black Dragon race being raised by the last living representative of the Golden Dragon race. It was something that Lina herself had never seen coming. She recalled the promise that Filia had made: to raise Valgarv right, to teach him not to hate and to love both dragon and Human alike. "And that brings me to something else. Something that I need to tell the Old Ones, should they care to listen."   
Zhiya looked at Lina with questions in her eyes. All posing and haughtiness aside, this woman might very well be capable of teaching her. And she wanted teaching far more than she wanted to admit. Magic was forbidden in her town, cursed to be the reason of Kuroryu's fall. But Zhiya's mother had whispered differently to her daughter, and Zhiya herself didn't believe that magic was terrible and a destructive force. Magic could also be used for good, couldn't it? Used to perhaps save people and heal them when they were hurt… magic such as that could have saved her mother's life…   
Lina watched the girl for a moment, and then turned to address the Old Ones that she knew were in the room. "Ancients of the Black Dragon race, I have seen the power that you possess, and I have heard the story of the wars from the Golden Dragons. I have also heard them from the last survivor of your race, poor proud Valgarv. I don't know by what name you called him, but I am glad that I knew him as he was. Even now, he has been granted another chance, along with the survivor of the Golden Dragons. Lost to you by the actions of the Golden Dragons and the Demon God King Garv, the last child of Kuroryu has been reborn again as the son of Kuroryu, and is even now being raised by the last of the Golden Dragons."   
She paused, feeling the weight of the Old Ones bearing down upon her in displeasure. "No… truly. Filia was raised unaware of her own bloody past, and wishes to do her best in raising Valgarv as any child should be: with love and kindness. She has herself learned humility and shame over what her ancestors did to you, and seeks some semblance of penance in loving Valgarv."   
_ She loved him even when he was trying to kill her. She saw something more in him than any one of us ever did. Was it that they were dragons…? Each calling to the other unconsciously?_ Lina mused to herself.   
A single voice answered within her head. "You are wise, Lina Inverse. But you still do not know all that there is to know about our pasts. We will give you time to read the texts and the history upon our walls. Then we shall test you. And we will see if you are worthy of knowing the whole truth that there is to know."   
"The whole truth?" Lina asked the air, turning to look at the walls with wide eyes. None of the words made any sense to her… it was that ancient Gold Dragon ruin all over again. "But I can't read any of this. How am I supposed to learn?"   
"It's all part of the test. They made me learn it too. Only I managed to translate it with magic." The princess looked smugly at Lina. "Shall I read it to you?"   
Lina looked at the girl. "Kid, you've got a lot to learn, but maybe so do I." 

Zhiya turned, looking at the wall. Slowly she began to read, not in the standard language of the area, but a soft and flowing language that at first made no sense, but after a few moments was as clear as if Lina had grown up speaking it.   
"The days were long and our people numerous in the high days of our kind. We lived as proud, fierce lovers of life and nature. We were well-loved by the humans who lived primitively within our shadows, and took great care to enrich their lives and fill them with everything they needed. Not a life was wasted, not a soul was shed needlessly, for all understood the roles and positions in life.   
"Our Temple, our home, was a glorious place, rich in magics and thought. Such that it was, it allowed us to reach higher levels of existence and we saw things as they were and as they should have been. Given this information, we saw that we would only further destroy the harmony held within this world if our actions continued. One or two of our Elders at the time believed us, but the majority of the Council of Elders disavowed us and claimed that we wanted to take the whole of the power we had found for ourselves."   
Lina frowned. "So… this was before the war…?"   
Zelgadis looked at the words on the walls, musing heavily upon the words offered by Zhiya as she read the walls. "It would seem so."   
Amelia settled in to listen, for once silent about the injustice of the whole situation between the Golden Dragons and the Black Dragons. She glanced over   
to Gourry, and sighed. "Miss Lina…?"   
Lina turned to Amelia, then followed the direction in which Amelia was pointing.   
Gourry was sound asleep. Lina watched him for a moment, then shook her head and sighed. "Amelia, I've given up on keeping him awake in this sort of situation. It's just not worth it. If he were awake, we'd spend more time trying to explain it to him. Just… let him sleep. Maybe he'll absorb some of the story easier."   
Amelia blinked big blue eyes at Lina, then nodded.   
Lina turned back to Zhiya. "Go on… I want to hear more."   
Zhiya nodded, turning back to the words on the wall and continuing. "It wasn't enough that we all believed in this prophecy, but the Elders who didn't believe in the prophecy threatened us that we were disrupting the natural flow of life, and that if we continued hoarding the secret of power from the others, it would give us an unfair advantage.   
"And still, we turned away, unwilling to turn over the secret to such a dangerous and unsavory power. Eventually, it came to us that we could no longer stay within that Temple, and it was with heavy hearts that we all decided to move away from the lovely Temple, and to go up into the chilled northern territories and force ourselves to become used to the cold. Perhaps we thought that the cold would help chill the fire in our hearts that was caused by the knowledge of the power that we had discovered."   
"At first, we were lethargic, cold beyond our ability to move and to think. Several of us died, the Elders among the first to die, for they were too old to   
adapt easily. But seasons passed, and we began to cope, unknowing that our skin was darkening to take in all the warmth from the sun that we could. Within a short   
period of time, we were no longer recognizable as the former members of the Dragon race we had left in the Temple. We were Black Dragons."   
Lina gasped, staring at the images carved into the walls. "Then… the Golden Dragons and the Black Dragons were once the same? And they knew this as they killed each other in the Wars? The Elder knew this as he stood there inside the Temple and tried to keep us from claiming the last weapon of Light in order to stop DarkStar?"   
"It is as you say, Lina Inverse."   
A slight female stood in the center of the room, long black hair spilling down her back, over her shoulders, and pooling at her feet. "We of the Black Dragons knew that it was a fate that we would have to accept and act out in order to keep the safety of the world. And so we died to keep the secret, to keep the power safe from those who would misuse it and destroy our world. But even now, the secret is known to a select few people… those who have pursued the same certain tomes that we did so long ago. But now is the time to discover if you are truly worthy of the rest of our tale."   
"Prepare yourselves for the tests to begin. You will be tested individually and without aid from others. At the completion of the tests, you will learn what you need to know." 

* * *

  
**It's Fate!**   
**It's Justice!**   
**Amelia's Test Begins!**

Amelia wasn't sure what had just happened. She had been standing in the Great Hall of the Temple of Kuroryu, and then suddenly had turned to find herself standing in the middle of a very large field of flowers. The woman that had just been speaking to the entire group was there beside her, arms folded and waiting.   
"What…? Where is this?" Amelia asked, casting her gaze around for any of the others.   
"This is what we call the Field of Justice. Here it was that our people were brought to Justice by the Golden Dragons. You speak of Justice, Princess of Sailune, but do you know the true scope that Justice can be? How vicious and uncaring that carriers of Justice have been known to be to our people?"   
Amelia turned big blue eyes to the woman beside her. "But… sometimes the Fist of Justice must be cruel for the lesson to be learned."   
"Perhaps. But we shall see what Justice was then… and what message you think the Justice carried." And the woman vanished, leaving Amelia alone on the grassy field. 

Amelia was tired and hungry, and she didn't want to be involved in any of this, but what choice did she have? She decided that she needed to find at least something to eat or drink, and chose a direction to begin walking in.   
After a few hours, a town slowly became visible in the distance, and Amelia sighed in relief. Maybe she could find something to eat, and a place to stay. Then she could figure out how she had gotten here, where here was… and how to get back home. She didn't care if she managed to get back to Miss Lina. Right now, she just wanted her father and her pink and ecru bedroom with the softest pillows in the world.   
As she approached the farms on the outskirts of the tow, several farmers lifted hands in greeting, and she wearily waved back. At least they were friendly here. That lifted her spirits somewhat and she moved a little faster towards the town itself.   
Inside the town, everyone was friendly, people smiling and greeting her and offering advice on where to eat and the best place to sleep. In the end, Amelia had regretted asking, because so many people had so many varying opinions that she vowed to stop at the first place she found.   
The first place she found had both good smelling food and a pleasant innkeeper. Even better, they were reasonable in fares, and the food was delicious. Amelia felt as if she had fallen into paradise. After dinner, she retreated to her room and settled into the bed, thinking. In the morning, she'd ask around and find out exactly where she was. For now, sleep. 

Morning dawned with a spectacular rainbow of colors shimmering over the horizon, and Amelia woke gently, as if she were back in her own bedroom in Sailune. As such, it was a bit of a shock to see not her own walls, but the soft grays of the inn. Gathering herself to meet the morning, she drew a bath and soaked in it for a while, considering the relative peace of the place. Today, she would find out what the strange woman had meant about Justice.   
Rising from her bath, she dried herself, dressed, and stepped out of her room. Down the stairs, she could hear the commotion of the dining hall, and made her way across to the stairs and down into the busy room.   
It was easy to get food and get seated, the breakfast just as good as the dinner had been. Catching a server, she indicated that she was done and it was to be charged to her room, and she set out into the town to find out where she was.   
A merchant selling pendants and charms seemed amiable to talking, and Amelia asked him her first question of the day: where she was.   
"You came in last night, so you missed the signs then. You're in the lovely town of Kuroryu, young lady," He replied easily.   
"Kuroryu? I should be in the ruins! What… Can you please explain to me where the ruins are?" Amelia spluttered. "The East Gate… where is it?"   
"East Gate? Young lady, I'm afraid there are no gates around our town. We live in peace and offer peace to whomever visits us." He offered her a pendant for her inspection.   
"Um, that's a very nice pendant, but I'm trying to figure out where I am. The Princess Zhiya was lost…"   
The merchant looked at Amelia oddly. "Zhiya hasn't been a Princess for a very long time, young lady.   
Amelia took a step back, eyes widening. "What?"   
The merchant smiled faintly. "No… she is the Queen, regent to our young King. But surely you cannot be old enough to have known Zhiya as a girl. You can't be but in your youth yourself… and Zhiya has seen several hundred years."   
"Several hundred… years?" Amelia echoed. She dropped the pendant and stared at the merchant.   
"Careful. Around here, they say if a lady drops something and a man picks it up for her, that they are destined to an evening of enchantment."   
Amelia turned, her eyes growing wider as she almost recognized the voice. Valgarv? No… there was no possible way… "Valgarv? Where is Filia?"   
The youth tilted his head. "Are you talking to me? My name is Aurin… and I don't know anyone named Filia…"   
Amelia started to hyperventilate. There was something horribly, horribly wrong. The world around her swayed, and she felt herself falling.   
Then, nothing. 

"She's waking up," a soft voice whispered. 

Amelia opened her eyes to see two golden eyes peering down at her. There he was, Valgarv. It hadn't been a hallucination. But he was smiling, and his expression was gentle.   
"You're awake. How do you feel?" He asked softly.   
"I…. She settled for an easy answer. "My head hurts."   
"I'm sorry. If you would like, we can bring you something for that," he offered.   
Amelia shook her head. "No… I just want to go back to Kuroryu and find Miss Lina."   
He frowned. "But you are in Kuroryu. In fact, you are in the Palace of Kuroryu right this very moment."   
"I'm in… the Palace of Kuroryu? Who… are you?" Amelia managed to squeak.   
He smiled that maddening smile. "I'm Aurin. I'm the Crown Prince of Kuroryu. I can't be King until I turn of age… or until my mother says I can."   
"And your mother?" Amelia's voice felt as though it was made of sandpaper.   
"My mother is Queen Zhiya."   
Amelia sat up, looking around. "You're not Valgarv? Half Black Dragon and half demon?"   
His golden eyes shifted aside, then back to Amelia. "No… I am whole Black Dragon… and court no demons within my town."   
Amelia thought quickly. This meant that the strange woman had sent her back in time? Back into the memory of the Temple itself? And this was who Valgarv had been before Garv changed him? Little wonder Valgarv had been so bitter! He had been Crown Prince of everything here before the Golden Dragons came.   
"Oh…" Amelia said. "You remind me of someone else then… I'm sorry that I confused you."   
He shook his head and smiled. "Don't worry about it. I am told that everyone has someone who looks like them somewhere in the world."   
Amelia looked disconcerted for a moment. If this were a memory, how was it playing as if it were real?   
"Have I upset you?" Aurin asked. "Let me have some wine brought." Turning, he called out to a girl by the door. "Lalli, bring some wine. Our guest has had a long morning, and needs something with which to fortify herself."   
"I… I don't drink…" Amelia said quietly. First, her father didn't let her. Secondly, she didn't particularly care for the smell associated with alcohol.   
Aurin raised his eyebrows, and called out "Bring juice instead. That which we use to turn into wine shall be excellent. A pitcher and two goblets."   
Lalli, thus addressed, hurried out to find the juice and left the two alone.   
"So… what is your name? You know mine, and therefore have me at a disadvantage, lady." Aurin asked pleasantly, a soft smile toying around his lips.   
"Um… I'm called Amelia…" She didn't specify anything further, but what difference could it make? She was obviously in a dream, a waking dream brought to her mind by the Black Dragons of the Ancient Temple. It wasn't real… it was only a memory given life enough to show her what needed to be shown.   
"Amelia…" He tasted the name and smiled again, turning to look out of a nearby window and gaze at the mountains beyond. "It is a lovely name, though strange to my ears. From where do you wander, for you are a traveler from a considerable distance, if my guess is true."   
He was good, yes, but how could he know that she lived within the Barrier? Did the Barrier even exist in this time of days gone past? She settled for another easy answer. "I come from the land across the vast seas."   
"Ah…" He nodded, turning back to her. "And are those lands as beautiful as those outside my windows?"   
"Probably not," Amelia admitted softly.   
"Lord Aurin! Lord Aurin! They come!" Lalli came running back into the room, pitcher of juice forgotten.   
Instantly Aurin was on his feet. "What, now? Are they here for battle, or peace?"   
A rumble answered his question as a brilliant flame lanced out across the view from the window.   
"Battle, then." Eyes narrowed, Aurin reached into his sleeve and pulled a bracelet out of his cuff. He turned to Amelia and fastened the bracelet onto her wrist. "Do not take this off, Lady Amelia, for this will protect you from their attack."   
"But what about you!" Amelia grabbed at his wrist as he moved towards a curtained archway that led out to a circular overlook on the side of the Palace. "You are the Prince… you need to be protected for the sake of your people!"   
He pulled his hand away, shoving the heavy curtain aside. Outdoors, the sounds of battle were rising, the heavy wings of dragons pushing the air into swirls and gusts. "I will die for my people, if that is what it takes. But as long as you survive…" He paused, turning to her and taking both her hands in his. Bowing his forehead to her hands, he murmured. "This is not your fight. You aren't supposed to be part of this. Promise me this, Amelia from across the sea. Promise me that if I die, If my people die and you survive to return to your people… promise to remember us."   
Taken wholly aback, Amelia could only stammer out a reply. "I… I can't ever forget you… Aurin…" She knew with cold certainty that while Aurin would die, he would be reborn as Valgarv and seek revenge for his people. And Lina and Filia would bring it to a full circle…   
He let go of her hands and stepped out onto the balcony, wings carelessly growing across his back as he shifted into dragon form and took off into the sky to battle. 

By the time Amelia managed to find her way down into the Great Hall, her suspicions had been confirmed. This was what she knew as the Temple of Kuroryu… the Palace would survive… but its people would be nothing more than whispered memories carved onto walls by some dying member of the Black Dragon race, unaware that Valgarv once Aurin still sought revenge.   
The great doors were open, and Amelia stepped out into the ravaged courtyard, her breath taken by the sheer majesty of the Golden Dragons battling the Black Dragons in the skies. Dragons of both races fell, and one Black Dragon landed heavily nearby. Running over to aid the dragon, Amelia saw the injuries and began preparing a healing spell. By the time she reached it, however, the dragon had died. Angry at the injustice, Amelia spun to see another dragon falling from the skies, and cried out in anger. "Why do you do this? They are your people! They are kind and beautiful…and they only wish to live in peace!"   
She caught up to the other fallen Black Dragon, setting her hands on the torn skin and casting the healing spell without a thought. Dream or not, she could not stand by and watch these beautiful beings die.   
The dragon beneath her hands shifted into human form, the face familiar now as both Lalli and the woman from the Ancient Temple in the present/future that Amelia knew.   
"They seek us for the power that we keep secret, for the magics and forbidden knowledge held to keep the intricate balance of life steady. Do you understand now, Amelia, what we were, what we left behind? We deciphered the spells, the ancient writings of that which is called the Claire Bible… and we know the power it bespeaks can destroy this world.   
"Even your Lina Inverse is not lighthearted with the Giga Slave. One of the simpler spells from the Claire Bible, it can destroy a world with the merest of thought. With us died the ability to read the Claire Bible in its entirety and understand the ramifications of such magic unleashed. Where, then, was the justice, Amelia? Who were the winners in this bloody battle?"   
The woman beneath her hands dissolved into dust, and Amelia looked out over the bloody streets, tears falling. This wasn't justice, but persecution for a power that was not understood by those attacking. There would be no winners, she knew, for revenge would be taken, and the Golden Dragons would be hunted just as callously. In the end… in the end…   
There were winners, Amelia suddenly saw. Out of it all would come an answer that neither race would ever have imagined possible. For many years in the future, a Golden Dragon Priestess would love a Black Demon Dragon Prince. And in the end, he would be reborn and they both would win a second chance.   
The world around her shimmered, the battle fading blissfully into darkness and she slept. 

* * *

  
**Confused?**   
**Clueless?**   
**Gourry's Test Begins!**

Gourry leaned back comfortably in the grass, a blissful sigh escaping him. He wasn't sure where he was, and he wasn't sure where Lina and the others were… but this was comfortable, and he was just going to rest here for a little while before getting up to find them. Usually Lina would find him first, so he wasn't too worried.   
"Ah… the bliss of ignorance, eh, Gourry?"   
Gourry popped an eye open and looked over at Xellos. "Whatever. I'm just enjoying this for a moment before I have to go find Lina. Unless you know where she is…"   
"She's being tested right now. Just like you," Xellos answered, folding his legs to sit with his staff across his knees.   
"Tested?" Gourry said, sitting up. "But I haven't studied, and I don't know what the test is supposed to be on!"   
Xellos sighed. When he had explained to the Powers That Be that testing Gourry was a waste of their time, they had asked for an illustration, a case in point as it were. What he hadn't seen coming was that they immediately decided that he was correct, and should therefore be assigned to keep Gourry alive.   
It was tedious.   
Gourry was dumber than your average village idiot.   
This might not be a bad thing.   
Xellos looked over at Gourry. "So how dumb are you really, Gourry?"   
"Huh?" Gourry answered, staring at Xellos.   
Xellos hid another sigh and tried again. "Well, Lina's always calling you dumb or stupid… I was just wondering if you were."   
"Well… if I am… I don't know it, Xellos," Gourry replied easily, leaning back into the grass.   
Xellos facefaulted, the sweatdrop threatening to soak his collar. "Okay… do you even know what is going on right now?"   
Gourry frowned in concentration. "Well, we're sitting here in some grass… and Lina's taking a test somewhere. I'd better let her finish the test before I go looking for her. I wouldn't want to interrupt her… but how will I know the test is over? I don't want to keep her waiting…"   
Xellos almost gave in then and there. Not only was Gourry dumber than your average brick, the brick had more of a survival ratio. Given that, the brick probably had a longer life span.   
"Gourry… don't worry about it."   
Gourry looked over at Xellos. "I don't know…" Something occurred to him and he looked at Xellos darkly, then leapt to his feet and drew his sword. "What have you done with her? Lina's always saying not to trust you, so I won't! Give her back, right now!"   
Xellos floated to his feet and waved at Gourry. "Really, Gourry, this time it's not me."   
Gourry lowered the sword slightly. "Really? Gosh, I'm glad about that. I mean, you're the only person I know here, and I would hate to have to kill you. Then I'd be all alone."   
Xellos turned, staring out accusingly at the Powers That Be. "What does Lina see in this guy?" He muttered quietly.   
"So… what brings you out here, Xellos?" Gourry asked, sheathing his sword and sitting back down.   
Xellos took a deep breath, released it, and then turned back to Gourry sitting amiably in the grass. "You."   
"Me? Oh… am I lost? I don't know where I am… so I must be lost. How nice of you to find me." Gourry said, leaning back into the grass yet again.   
That was it. Test over, as far as Xellos was concerned. "Come on, Gourry. We're going back to town and get some food."   
"Food?" Gourry sat up. "Yeah, I'm hungry. Will we see Lina there? I don't want her eating my dinner again."   
"No, Gourry, we won't. So your dinner is safe." Xellos replied, opening his dimensional gate that would return them to the Ruins of Kuroryu.   
"Oh… that's good. Just as long as Lina won't get mad at me for eating without her." Gourry said.   
Xellos waved Gourry into the portal. "Everything will be fine, Gourry. Just don't worry your blonde head about it."   
Xellos watched Gourry enter the portal and vanish, shaking his head. 

"You weren't to interfere, Xellos."   
Xellos opened his eyes and looked at the woman who had appeared before him. "Why waste the time testing him when you know that he will fail?"   
She smirked faintly, tilting her head to look at him. "Indeed, a viable argument. Instead, then, perhaps this as a test…" 

Gourry settled into the chair and looked at the menu. Wow. All this food and he didn't have to share with Lina.   
"So, what will you have, Gourry?" Xellos asked, taking a seat opposite him.   
Gourry pondered for a moment, then indicated a page of the menu. "I think I'll have everything on this page in double portions."   
Xellos nodded, looking at the waitress. "Did you get that?"   
"Sure did. What do you want?" The waitress replied.   
"Oh, I'll have a little of the house special," Xellos answered casually. "When did you start working here?"   
"I work wherever I want. This was a… fortuitous job… so I took it," she answered.   
Gourry watched the exchange with a blank look, and when the waitress stepped off, he leaned forwards. "Who was that?"   
"That? Oh, that's just Luna. She tolerates me, but I think she's really here to keep an eye on a few things." Xellos answered with a wave of his hand.   
"Luna? That name sounds familiar…" Gourry said, thinking it over. "Oh! I know! That's Lina's sister's name!"   
"And that is Lina's sister." Xellos replied.   
Gourry turned to look at her, eyes wide. No matter how hard he looked, he just couldn't quite make out her features. He thought that she was pretty, but beyond that, he couldn't honestly say what color her eyes were… but her hair was dark. He was sure about that. But her smile, the shape of her nose… "Xellos… I'm having a hard time seeing her… something like one of Lina's spells, right?"   
Xellos looked at Gourry sharply. That was a fairly observant comment for the generally witless swordsman. "You see the blur around her?"   
"Yeah. It's kind of like looking at her through a glass of water. Why?" Gourry answered.   
Xellos opened his mouth to reply, but Gourry put his hand up. "Xellos, that answer will have to wait. I'm afraid there's a bigger problem than why I can't see   
Luna."   
Xellos looked at Gourry. "Hm?"   
The door flew open, and Gourry's hand touched his sword. "Don't move."   
Xellos' back was to the door, so he couldn't see the man standing in the door, silhouetted by the daylight. All he saw was Gourry draw his sword as he moved to the door.   
"You're here for trouble, and that's my middle name." Gourry said, approaching the door.   
Without a reply, the man threw a dagger into the restaurant, aimed at Gourry, then dashed out into the center of town.   
Gourry's way was blocked by Luna, who had caught the dagger in one hand and gone to holler out the door. "No throwing knives in my restraunt!!"   
Gourry stared as Luna walked towards the back, holding the dagger and shaking her head. "Honestly, you'd think they were all barbarians…"   
Gourry stepped out into the town and blocked a well-timed blow from the unknown assailant with his blade.   
The other backed off, glaring at Gourry and snarled "You're in my way, kid."   
"I'm going to stay in your way until you tell me what's going on," Gourry replied calmly.   
"There's a man in that restaurant that I must kill," came the reply.   
"Oh. Well while that sounds reasonable enough, I need a little more. Why do you need to kill him?" Gourry countered, continuing to keep the other man at bay.   
"He's a Mazoku."   
"Mazoku? I didn't see any mazoku in there," Gourry said, deflecting the strike of the other's blade.   
"I'm afraid that he means me, Gourry," Xellos said quietly, hovering beside the blonde swordsman.   
Gourry paused to look at Xellos. "Oh yeah. I keep forgetting that you're a Mazoku."   
"Gourry, you keep forgetting everything," Xellos returned politely.   
"Hey now!" The blonde swordsman stopped. "Do I? I mean, that's a bad thought. If I forget it, how do I know what I know? I mean, I may have known what I knew… but if I forgot it, then I wouldn't know! Would I?"   
Xellos opened his eyes and looked at Gourry. Was he really that stupid?   
Fortunately for him, Gourry's diatribe on knowing what he knew had caught the bandit completely befuddled into a neat little mental trap. So. Gourry was good for a few things after all…   
Gourry pondered some more. "So if I don't know what I know… how can I be sure to know anything. Gosh. Maybe Lina –is- right! I could well be the idiot that she calls me to be. I just don't know…"   
Xellos facefaulted. There was nothing worse than Gourry on a quasi-circular logical thought. Gourry having a thought was a frightening thing… and Gourry caught up in a near-perfect trap of circular logic… was pure evil. Xellos started to become amused. 

A slight wave of the Mazoku's hand, and Xellos was alone with Gourry, listening to every word that babbled from Gourry's mouth.   
"What do you think, Xellos? If I don't know what I don't know… what does that make me? What does that leave me knowing? Gosh! How do I learn what I don't know? If I learn what I don't know, do I then know what I know… or know what I didn't know?"   
Gourry was busy weaving a paradox of logic about himself so tightly that Xellos himself was hard-pressed to keep the straight look on his face. Nope. Gourry didn't even notice the planar shift. Absently, the trickster priest waved his hand again, and they returned to the center of the town. 

The (would be) attacker (no wiser of the planar shift either) kneeled before Gourry. "I swear before you, allegiance and protection for as long as I shall live. Thou art a wise man indeed to seek out that which he does not know."   
Both Xellos and Gourry stared at the little man, this pathetic example of sentience. He even made Gourry look intelligent.   
Then Gourry blew it. "Um… yeah, sure…" he said. "I uh, guess."   
"That's it! I give up! Elena, if you want to deal with this, then by all means do so! I've had it." Xellos said, throwing up his hands and starting to walk off. "I say he neither passes, nor fails. Do what you will with him."   
Gourry stared at Xellos. "Who are you talking to? Where are you going? Don't leave me here! We have to find Lina!"   
"You can't see Lina yet," Xellos said as he continued to walk away.   
"Oh yeah, she's taking a test," Gourry said, catching up to Xellos, the ex-bandit following close behind. "So what do we do know?"   
"We wait," Xellos said.   
"Wait for what?" The bandit asked.   
Both Gourry and Xellos turned to look at the bandit. "If you're going to follow me, I may as well know your name," Gourry said.   
"Me? I'm not worthy of having a name. But I know you. You're the Mazoku Xellos, and you're Gourry Gabriev."   
Xellos and Gourry exchanged a look, and Xellos could have sworn he saw a modicum of intelligence behind the normally blank blue gaze.   
"What do you want with us?" Gourry said.   
"I… well… I don't want to kill you. But my… er, that is, the one who tries to control me… well, she wants you dead, Xellos," The bandit replied.   
"Me? I'm afraid that dying just isn't on my list of things to do right now, sorry." Xellos bowed politely and turned away to continued towards the inn on the corner.   
The bandit had only sworn allegiance to Gourry, not to Xellos, and so therefore saw nothing erroneous about taking off after Xellos with murder in his eyes.   
Gourry took off after the bandit, his hand going automatically for the blade at his hip. "Xellos! Look out!"   
Xellos turned to see the bandit following him, and Gourry chasing the bandit. This was not good. Dying certainly wasn't on his agenda today, but Gourry was a bit too far behind the bandit for his taste.   
Suddenly, Gourry was in front of the bandit, between him and Xellos, sword drawn. "I'm sorry, but you have to leave right now. Or I'll have to kill you."   
The bandit looked at Gourry for a moment, then sheathed his own blade and nodded. "I understand. Forgive me, Elder."   
Elder? Xellos wondered to himself. What was that bandit talking about?   
Gourry turned to look at Xellos, and suddenly, the Mazoku knew. Knew and understood the entire reason that Gourry was the way he was. Understood why Gourry seemed dumber than a brick, unable to comprehend the simplest of concepts. And understood why Gourry was far more than he appeared to be.   
Gourry tilted his head and looked to Xellos. "What?"   
Xellos simply shook his head. "You'll see. Later. But now, it's time to sleep. Come, the inn is this way…"   
Gourry amiably followed Xellos into the inn, then up to his room. He didn't know that as he fell asleep, the world around him shifted into dark nothingness. 

* * *

  
**A Chimera's Karma**   
**It's Hard Being a Rock**   
**Zelgadis is Put to the Test!**

Zelgadis swore. He had stood there in the hall of the Ancient Temple and seen this coming, yet he had done nothing to prevent the group from being split up. It annoyed him, his lack of ability to follow through on anything as of late. He was incredibly pre-occupied, and it grated on him that he was performing to a sub-standard level in the group. Not that Lina would say anything about it to him. She wouldn't. She was too… nice.   
That's something else that bothered him. Lina. Why was he so worried about what she thought of him lately? He knew that she was to be with Gourry in the end; after all of it was said and done… so why in the name of all that was holy, was he thinking possessively about her? Hell if he was falling in love with her!   
_ But that's exactly what you are doing, isn't it, Zelgadis? _He asked himself._ You're falling in love with her because you see a side of her that no one else gets to. She treats you with respect, maybe teasing every once in a while… but you're the one she comes to in a pinch. It's depressing, really_.   
He stood up and looked around. Enough self-recrimination, time to discover where he was and what his test was to be.   
Nothing too out of the ordinary here, average hotel room… so what was he doing in a hotel room? He walked over and tried the door. Odd. Didn't the person staying in the hotel room lock the door against the outside, not the outside locked against the person inside? Never mind that… he cast a simple spell, but the magic fizzled as fast as he cast it.   
Sighing, he reached into his belt for the kit that he had carried around for many years. It harked back to the days when he had nothing else to do but learn   
from Rezo, and contained the tools with which to do things the 'hard' way instead of with magic.   
Unfolding the little kit, he selected a tool, then looked to the doorknob.   
There were no little holes for him to use to unlock the door.   
He cursed mildly, then put tools back into the kit, rolled it up and stuck it back into his belt. Someone wanted him in this room.   
Scowling, Zelgadis sat on the edge of the bed, folding his arms and waiting. The bed wasn't too terribly uncomfortable, and he was fairly tired… 

Slowly his eyes slipped closed, and he slid over sideways into the bed and sleep. 

When Zelgadis opened his eyes, he was in a totally different place, a sunlit and cheery room. Frowning, he sat up and looked around him in confusion. Where was he?   
The door opened slowly, and Zelgadis almost closed his eyes so that he would look like he was still asleep. A woman came in, and he couldn't quite make out her face as she stood at the door. She entered the room and walked over to the bed, sitting on it and reaching out a hand to touch his cheek lightly.   
He held his breath, unable to move his eyes to see who she was without giving himself away as being awake. Who was she? What was she to him? What was he to her?   
She sighed softly, resting her fingers on his cheek. "Oh, Zel… I wish you'd come back to me. I don't know what happened that day… but I wish you'd wake up and talk to me."   
That did it. He had to see who it was. He opened his eyes and looked to her.   
Lina.   
"Lina?" He asked incredulously.   
Her eyes widened, and she bent over to engulf him into her embrace. "Oh… Zel! I've been so worried! You've slept for a week!"   
"Huh?" He said, muffled by her shoulder. "Lina? What are you doing?"   
She sat up, looking at him. "What do you mean? You've been out cold for a week. What happened?"   
"That's what I want to know," he said, sitting up. He wasn't wearing his clothing… in fact; he wasn't wearing anything save for a pair of shorts. Immediately embarrassed, he pulled the sheet up around him, to her obvious amusement.   
"God, Zel! You don't need to be embarrassed in front of me! I'm your wife, for crying out loud!" Lina said, reaching out to touch his cheek again.   
He caught her hand, looking at the rings on her finger. "Married? You and I?" His eyes shifted to his own left hand, startling himself to see the matching ring on his own finger. Married…   
"Yes… married." Her voice changed, worry seeping into the edges. "Zel… what do you remember…?" Her hands shifted, turned so that she was holding his hand now.   
He frowned, struggling to recall anything after the moment etched in his mind of standing in the Ancient Temple hall. "The last thing I remember is standing in the Ancient Temple of Kuroryu. Then I woke up here."   
Lina gasped, pulling her hand away and clapping it to her mouth. "You… you don't remember anything after? Nothing?"   
Zelgadis shook his head, keenly aware of the pain Lina was trying to shield from showing in her eyes. Now that he looked, tiny lines around Lina's mouth and eyes gave away the clues that time he did not remember had passed.   
She sighed, allowing him to pull back his hand, and looked away. "I wonder what happened to you back there?"   
"What do you mean?" His voice was guarded.   
"A week ago, someone said that they had come to settle an old score with you. You went to talk to them and disappeared for two days. When we found you, you were unconscious with no sign of injury. I even cast a healing spell and it didn't wake you. And now you're awake… but you don't recall… Zel? What happened in the Temple?" She asked.   
"Happened? I… I was standing there and suddenly everyone started to vanish. Things went dark… and I woke up in a small room. I think I fell asleep… a tingly sleep, like a sleep spell, and then I woke up here." He answered, looking at his hands.   
"You mean… this entire time… all this time… you've been under a spell…?" Lina's voice was small, curiously strained.   
"I…!" Zelgadis looked up to her, seeing the pain etched into the corner of her lips. "I'd like to think that wasn't the case..."   
She put her hands in her lap, the fingers of her right hand touching the slim band of gold around her left ring finger. Her wedding finger. "So would I, Zel. But now, we have to find out not only what happened last week… but what happened three years ago."   
"Three years!?" he spluttered.   
She nodded. "We've only been married a year and a half of that… and there are no children… so you don't have to worry about not remembering them…"   
"Children." He said. "How could we possibly have children…?" He looked at her. "I'd like to get dressed."   
"Oh! Um… I'll… just be… out there…" She said, then stood and walked to the door, closing it quietly behind her.   
Zelgadis moved off of the bed and walked over to the closet, peering at the clothing within. Yes, the style and colors were similar to his tastes. Pulling out a shirt and pair of pants, he reflected on how intrinsically wrong this felt. He shouldn't be married to Lina. Gourry should. Not him.   
He dressed quickly, adding socks, and then fumbled around the bottom of the closet for shoes. Once those were found, he tied them and stepped out of the room and into a hallway with pictures on the walls.   
There was a wedding photo across from the doorway, and with a strange feeling in his stomach, he realized that Gourry was giving Lina away as the bride. To him, Zelgadis.   
Another photo, Lina and himself standing by a tree, his arms wrapped around her waist. They looked so… happy.   
So why didn't he feel happy? 

"That was on our honeymoon," Lina's voice came from behind him. He turned to see her quickly hide something from her eyes and force a smile. "Are you sure you should be up and dressed?"   
"Why wouldn't I be?" He replied. _I need to find out what happened. And quickly. This is tearing her apart. And truth to tell, it's not that enjoyable for me either._   
"Lina… I need to find out what happened. What happened in the Temple three years ago?"   
Her mouth fell open, then she thought for a moment. "There was a test. We were each tested by ourselves, except Gourry, who had Xellos to help him. Afterwards, we took the princess home and went on our way."   
He looked at her, eyes hard. "We simply took her home? Why had we been tested? What was the point?"   
She backed into the wall, bumping the frame of the wedding photo. "There didn't seem to be any point, Zel… I think they were testing to make sure we were allowed to take the princess back."   
"Who were they?" He pressed.   
"Um… I don't know. They didn't reveal themselves." She answered.   
"I don't believe that. There was a female there. She stood in the room and told us about the test. Who was she?" He said, putting his hands on her shoulders.   
Lina shook her head. "I… I didn't see anyone. I heard a voice, but I didn't see anyone."   
He let go, turning to look down the hall, then looking back to her. Something wasn't right. The whole of it felt wrong and he was going to get to the bottom of it. Now that he was looking, she wasn't wearing any of her talismans… in fact, she was wearing a fairly plain off-white dress, a single gold chain around her neck.   
"Why… don't I get you something to eat? You're probably hungry…" Lina offered, slipping around him and down the hall into the living areas.   
He followed, arms folded. "It doesn't make sense, Lina. How did I act after the test was over? Did we talk about our tests?"   
"I…" She leaned heavily against the door to the living room. "You seemed fine, Zel… you were grumpy that we had to be tested just to take the princess home… but we never talked about the tests. Amelia had nightmares for a few weeks afterwards, and she decided to go home to Sailune to rest and recover. After we took her back, I decided that we all ought to take a break and go on vacation."   
"Go on," Zelgadis said, listening. None of that sounded like anything normal. Amelia never got nightmares to his knowledge, and Lina hardly ever wanted to take a break from blasting bandits for treasure. It went completely against her nature.   
"Well… Gourry decided to stay in Sailune and teach swordsmanship, and you went off in search for a cure." She said, finally moving into the living room.   
He followed, looking around at the house and slightly boggling at how… domestic it was. There were books and photos everywhere… and not a sign of Lina's magical talismans or abilities. "And what did you do?"   
"I went home. My sister was there and we spent some time becoming sisters again. She said she was sorry that she beat me up all the time, but that I had to learn to defend myself because she wasn't going to be around a lot." She pointed to a small photo on the coffee table. "See? That's us there."   
Zelgadis looked at the photo and felt something cold settle in his stomach. No, this was seriously wrong. Lina was terrified of even a letter from her sister. There was no way that she'd be happily in a photo with her. But there it was, undeniably. They had their arms across each other's shoulders, and they were laughing. Their smiles were the same.   
He kept his voice carefully neutral. "I thought that you were afraid of her."   
"Well… I was… but things are better now. She's not half as mean as I remember. She told me that she was proud of me." Lina said, picking up the photo and looking at it.   
Zelgadis shook his head. "This isn't right, Lina. When Filia came to us with that letter from Luna, you buried yourself in the desert. Any mention of her name and you were terrified that it could bring her to us."   
Lina laughed a little. "It's not like that anymore. She's kinda cool." She touched her sister's face in the photo lightly.   
Zelgadis dropped his arms. That was the last straw. "No, Lina. This is not right. Something is very wrong here and I don't like it."   
She set the photo down and turned to look at him. "What do you mean, Zelgadis? The only thing wrong is that you don't remember anything."   
He shook his head. He had to say this kindly, had to make it easy. It wasn't easy, though. It was perhaps the hardest thing to do. This was his dream that he wouldn't even allow himself to dream. To be with Lina, in love and married and happy. It would be so easy for him to give into it, to dismiss that tingly thought that this was wrong. To completely… that was it. It suddenly made sense to him, all of it. This was his test. This was the test that the denizens of the Ancient Temple had put him to, and he hadn't seen it, so was very close to failing. What was truth and what was fiction?   
This whole life with Lina was fiction. Just as the fiction was that the black dragons were hoarding power. The Golden Dragons hadn't seen through the fiction woven by their own minds. But he, Zelgadis, did.   
He reached up, cupping her face in his hands. "No, Lina. I know what happened now." Even in this test, this false reality, he could not bear to hurt her. A sleep spell wove around her by simple act of his will. "You need some rest yourself, you've been taking such good care of me."   
Her eyes started to close, and she nodded absently, sitting on the sofa slowly. Her magic didn't so much as twitch to defend herself.   
He helped her onto the sofa, turning her so that she was lying down when the sleep spell took full effect, then pressed his lips to her forehead, speaking quietly. "You belong to Gourry, Lina. No matter how hard I would wish otherwise, the two of you are destined for each other. And while I love you dearly, this life is not for me. I'll always be there if you need me… that I swear."   
He stood, emotions warring within him, and walked to the door. "Goodbye, Lina." 

Opening the door, he stepped out into the brilliance that swallowed him, knowing that he had passed his test. 

* * *

  
**An Unwilling Participant**   
**Ready or Not,**   
**Xellos Takes a Test?**

Xellos wasn't happy. He'd taken care of Gourry only because he knew that without the blonde swordsman around, Lina Inverse wouldn't play any of his carefully set up games. He had no thoughts that it would end up with him having to sit out the time period allotted for everyone's tests. He had things to do! People to annoy. A bandit to punish.   
But Elena had spoken, and here he was.   
He knew the place well, had often sent those who came to bother him here. He didn't like being sent here with no choice. Asked nicely, he might well have come here and stayed on his own, out of respect for those past.   
But he wasn't. So he wasn't.   
However, for the record, he had tried to leave, and each time the dimensional portal opened, it closed right back up before he could pass through it. At this point, now he couldn't even open the portal.   
"You can't keep me here forever, you realize. I'm bound to find a way out one way or another," he said nonchalantly to the open space that had many listeners.   
He didn't get an answer, but then he wasn't truly expecting one. "Besides, why keep me here? I already know what happened. After all… I was there, wasn't I?"   
Still no answer.   
Xellos sighed and sat on the nothingness and waited. Best time to resign himself to the facts and wait.   
"There you are, Xellos. It's been a long time, hasn't it?"   
He turned, casually alighting on his feet. Not too far from him was the woman with long black hair. "I'm not certain it's been long enough."   
She turned, looking away. "That's unkind, Xellos."   
"This is unkind! The whole of it!" He retorted, a rarely seen anger burning behind his eyes.   
"You didn't have to involve yourself, Xellos. You could have left Gourry to do what he would," She answered.   
"Not and expect to continue living in one piece. Lina would kill me if anything happened to Gourry," Xellos said.   
"So you answer to her?" Came the question.   
"Of course not!"   
"Then you fear her, Xellos," The woman said calmly.   
Xellos opened his eyes and glared at her. "I most certainly do not fear Lina Inverse. It... simply suits me not to be on her bad side at this time. She plays my games far better when she is not annoyed with me."   
The woman sighed. "Are you still playing those games, Xellos? After so long, I had thought that you would have grown tired of them."   
Xellos laughed. "But the games are so much more interesting with Lina Inverse. How could I get tired of her and her companions?"   
"As quickly and easily as you got tired of me," the woman said.   
"That's not fair! You could have told me that you were a Dragon!" He spat.   
She folded her arms. "As if that was a reason to stop loving me!" She sighed and shook her head. "Instead, you left, allowing my heart to break. Lalli died, and I became Elena that day."   
Xellos turned away, he had not considered that he would be dragged through this. He hadn't been prepared. He had thought that Elena was familiar to him… but had he known that she was once Lalli… he would not have stayed. He would not have become involved in this. He sighed. "No, Elena. I never stopped loving you. I had to walk away. You were a Dragon and I was a Mazoku. If I had been discovered, you would have been killed. Aurin tolerated no monsters or demons, he would not have allowed us to continue. You knew that as well as I at the time."   
"Why did you come back to Kuroryu, Xellos? Why now, after so many years have passed?" Elena asked.   
"I don't know, Maybe I wanted to know what the final outcome had been. Maybe I wanted to see what Lina would make of this whole mess," Xellos replied, knowing full well that those were both feeble answers.   
Elena shook her head. "I used to wonder if you had forgotten me. Then I stopped caring. Now, I don't know what to think. You were better off not coming here."   
Xellos smirked, the anger still brewing behind his eyes. "Yes, I think that I would agree with you in that, Elena. I would definitely grant you that."   
She moved closer to Xellos. "Do you know why you are here, Xellos?"   
"Um… no. But I have a suspicion that you're going to tell me," he answered.   
She smiled. "Because I wanted to show you what happened. You weren't here when they attacked. You weren't here when we tried to pick up the pieces of our lives and move on. Aurin was gone, our Queen dead… we were a people obscured by chaos. Our salvation was the human city that was down the hill."   
"How could humans save you?" Xellos asked, leaning thoughtfully on his staff. If he could keep her re-directed long enough, maybe she'd stop reminding him that he was still in love with her. At least, part of him was.   
"Xellos… understand, if we hadn't forged the alliances then, our people would never have been remembered…"   
Something began to grow in his mind, something unfathomable. "Elena, you aren't telling me…"   
"We were capable of taking human shape… why not intermingle with them and ensure a future?"   
Xellos turned away. While he had nothing against humans… he was trying not to become ill. Dragons and humans… it would have been better for her to have run away with him as he had suggested so many long years ago. And now she was telling him this… "Elena… I…"   
"A vote was held, those of us who had survived the attack went to meet with the villagers. I was the only one left of the Royal Family, so I was chosen to be the Queen for the new King. We did not get along at first, but soon enough we became friends, and after that, lovers."   
Xellos sighed. What was she telling him? And why?   
"What I am saying, Xellos, is that the current people of Kuroryu are our children. Each and every one of them is part human, part dragon. And by some unknown and unanticipated fluke, some children were born more dragon than human. One or two were even born almost pure. Kuroryu's people live longer than most humans, and those who have more dragon in them live all the longer. Sadly, there are those who suspect themselves as being more, and when they hear our voices calling to them so that they may learn who they are… the mind snaps and they kill themselves in an attempt to rid themselves of our voices. Therefore, we've had to become very careful in how and who we select."   
Xellos sighed. "Why are you telling me this?"   
"I am telling you this because you need to know. You need to know because there's a severe danger of one of them failing their test. Consequently, there will be a great problem."   
"Who is failing?" Xellos asked. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know the answer.   
"I can't tell you. You know that I can't," She said.   
"Then let me go and do what I can to help. Don't force me to stand idly by while someone is about to fail their test!" Xellos said, trying not to storm around.   
Elena sighed. "You know that's against the rules. It's bad enough that you helped Gourry."   
"So it isn't Gourry failing. And I'd be amazed if Zelgadis failed. He's too perfect. So who is it?" Xellos asked.   
"I'm not telling you, Xellos. You forget that I know you too well." Elena replied, folding her arms. "You'll just have to wait and see."   
"Damnit, Elena! What happened to you? You used to be so different… so full of brightness and life! You were my opposite, and just being near you made me feel human again." Xellos exploded.   
"You want to know what happened, Xellos? Now, after being away for so long?" She sighed, looking away. "Fine, I'll show you. You deserve to know that much."   
Xellos blinked, and felt the spell weaving around him. He understood the theory behind the magic, yet knew that the magic used was well outside of his scope.   
He alighted neatly beside a burning building, and with a jolt, realized that it was the Palace of Kuroryu. So many Black Dragons were falling from the skies, the air alive with the killing magic of the Golden Dragons. In the not too far distance, a single Black Dragon arched in the air and fell to the ground. As he stood, transfixed, a girl in white cast a high-level healing spell and vanished into the brilliance of the spell.   
The Dragon that had been healed rose unsteadily to human-form feet and looked sadly out over the battle. A casting began, the magic tangible between her hands. Lalli. He knew her!   
He started to rise into the air, but decided against it. If this was real, and the Golden Dragons saw him… he took off running across the courtyard towards her.   
"Lalli! Lalli, wait!!!"   
The words that he heard her casting chilled him to the core. It was wrong.   
"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond the blood that flows, buried in the stream of time is where your power grows… I pledge myself to conquer all the foes who stand against this mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand…"   
Some instinct that he must have gained in his travels with Lina threw him to the ground, bringing his hands up to cover his head.   
"DRAGON SLAVE!"   
As Xellos' staff hit the ground, he looked up to see the Dragon Slave fading from Lalli's hands. The aura about her had changed, and she wasn't finished.   
Several Gold Dragons were coming around to bear down on her, and again she raised her hands. He caught only the last words as he brought a protection spell up around him.   
"Together we can destroy all who cross our path. Spirits of the Gods, deliver your smiting blow…"   
The protection sphere snapped into place. He wasn't taking any chances.   
"LAGUNA BLADE!"   
A brilliant pillar of darkness spilled from her hands, arched upwards, catching the Golden Dragons by surprise and slaying them before they could react.   
This wasn't his kind and gentle Lalli any longer. Lalli would never have brought the Dragon Slave against her own kind, nor would she have used the Laguna Blade. What had happened? Letting the protection spell fade, he looked to where he had last seen her, but she was not there.   
Where was she? He had to find her, had to find what had happened. Moving around the ruins, he discovered only death and destruction. A good many Golden Dragons lay dead or dying, but all of the Black Dragons he found were dead. He'd changed some since the Great War in which he had dealt so much death, finding this whole scene mildly repulsive to him. Why? What had changed within him? Well… come to point, he only did as he was told. He wasn't told to feel about it, so he didn't. But this, he had no part in. He could feel. It made him sick.   
If he had been human, he'd probably be in a corner, reliving whatever lunch would have been. It was a good thing that he was Mazoku this time. He didn't eat, and drinking tea was a purely aesthetic thing. It made him glad that he wouldn't embarrass himself.   
"Well? What think you, Xellos?"   
He turned to see Lalli- no, Elena standing there with her arms folded.   
"It wasn't right of them to attack. But I never thought you'd use the spells you did," Xellos replied casually.   
"I did what I had to do. Those few of us who survived, did so because of a healing spell. It wasn't supposed to be, wasn't supposed to exist. But it did. And so did we. We went on to the village there, reclaimed part of our own town… built a new life with the humans."   
The world around him faded back to the gray of the inter-dimensional plane. He sighed faintly, and she looked at him. "You wanted to know the truth. Now that you know, do you feel any better for it?"   
Xellos leaned against his staff. "Now that you mention it, not really. I don't understand who cast the healing spell… and I want to know why you used the very magics that they wanted for themselves."   
"The caster of the healing spell is of no consequence to you. She did not remain after that spell. The backlash…" She paused. "I used the Laguna Blade because I wanted them to see the absolute destructiveness of the magic that they sought. Improperly controlled, any of the Claire Magics can destroy the world as we know it."   
"I see…" Xellos mused. Little wonder that they feared Lina Inverse. After all, she could not only cast and control the Laguna Blade, but she cast the Giga Slave twice and lived. No doubt that they would test her resolve not to use the Giga Slave.   
Test her… and someone was failing. Suddenly, he knew that Lina would be put in a position where she would feel that she would have to use the Giga Slave, and therefore would fail her test. His eyes opened fully, violet irises intensifying as he turned his focus to Elena. "What are you doing to Lina?"   
She took an involuntary step backwards, looking at him uneasily. "She has to pass her test, Xellos. Just as everyone else has to."   
"Ah, but I think that you are being unfair with Lina because she knows the magics that you don't want her to know. This far, I have only been playing with you, not using the full extent of my abilities as a Mazoku. I am sure that you are aware of this. I'd rather not find myself forced into a position where I would feel the necessity to use anything… stronger." Xellos said, his eyes narrowing.   
"We need to test her more strenuously, as she is a danger to us all by knowing those spells!" Elena retorted, desperately trying to reassert herself and once again keep Xellos off-guard. "And we still haven't resolved the issue over us."   
"There never was an issue with us, Elena. You were a Dragon and I was a Mazoku. We can never be any more than that. Now stop trying to redirect me and answer my questions. What are you doing to Lina?" Xellos snapped. Zelas Metallium hadn't said anything for him to do lately, and he felt a growing need to take action.   
"She will be required to make a choice. A very deadly choice. Which way she turns is up to her, but the choice in itself will decide if she passes, or fails. We expect that she will fail," Elena said coolly. The emotional approach hadn't worked on Xellos then, and it still didn't. He was the perfect Mazoku in her eyes.   
But Xellos was far from perfect. Indeed, rage was his second favorite emotion, but he didn't enjoy feeling it himself. None-the-less, he decided at that moment that it was time to take matters into his own hands.   
He bowed to Elena, energy crackling around his staff. "You've been most helpful. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some people to gather…"   
With a brilliant flare (Xellos was a sucker for dramatic exits at times) he broke the Dragon-wrought barrier around the dimensional pocket, and vanished. 

* * *

  
**Alone in Kuroryu,**   
**Lina Starts Her Test.**   
**An Ancient Enemy is Revealed!**

Lina blinked. One moment she had been in the hall of the Ancient Temple, the next, she was standing in a large open room with people dancing and eating and… it was a ball! But she wasn't dressed for—   
_ Waitadamnminuite… what am I doing in this dress?_ She looked down, eying the black and hunter green gown. Tight black velvet bodice. Long hunter green lace skirt. Gold trim at the hem. She tentatively reached up, her fingers touching her hair. A tiara? _Where… am I? What the Hell am I doing here?_   
"Ah…. The lady of the hour."   
Lina turned, looking to the voice that had addressed her. He was tall and fair, but not at all like Gourry. "Who are you, and whaddya mean I'm the lady of the hour?" She asked. It was reason enough to believe that her being at this ball was her test… but what kind of a test?   
"Ah… but don't you know that's a secret, Lady Inverse? You'll find out when you need to know," He replied, and she had to check herself to keep from decking him.   
"I want an answer. You're not Xellos, so you can't get away with that 'this is a secret' line. Start talking, or I start blasting," she said.   
_ Man, Lina. Is your temper hot today or what? Take it easy, would you? _She chided herself mentally._ I mean, so what if you're being tested by the Ancient Black Dragons. That's no reason to be abrasive. It doesn't match the dress._   
She softened her expression, and shook her head. "Where are my manners? Please excuse me, I'm fairly hot and could use a drink?"   
The male took the hint and practically fell over himself to get to the bar and collect a glass for her. When he returned, she had collected herself into somewhat more of an approachable figure and graciously took the glass and sipped at it. _I'm going to kill whoever put me here…_ she thought. Then she followed that thought with another. _Temper, temper, Lina! What's gotten into you today? Hear him out first._   
"So… please, what did you mean by calling me the lady of the hour? After all… I don't know anyone here... particularly…" She fumbled for more words, then settled on sipping from the glass. Apart from helping quench her thirst, it helped serve as a distraction from the fact that she was winging this, and trying to control her temper, which seemed unnaturally high.   
Slightly more at ease, the young man pointed towards one end of the room and laughed softly. "Ah… but you do know someone in this room. And he's gone to such difficulties to bring you here."   
Lina turned, then nearly dropped the glass she held. _Valgarv? What the Hell is Valgarv doing here? Isn't he being raised by Filia? Wait a minute, that's an adult Valgarv…_ Eyes narrowing, she shifted her vision to mage-sight and for a moment, was dazzled by the aura that surrounded Valgarv's form. Blinking to return her vision to normal sight, she frowned slightly, sipping the drink for time. _No… that's not Valgarv. There's no mazoku in him. If I didn't know better, I'd say that his aura was pure… Dragon._   
"Why has he brought me here? What does he want with me?" Lina asked casually, raising the glass back to her lips. At this rate, she'd be drunk in no time, but she had to do something to cover her shock. If this was true… had she fallen back in time, or was this simply a constructed reality? Falling back in time… a true time shift could have devastating effects on the future. And only someone of a Great Priest's caliber could cast it with any effectuality.   
The blonde looked at her for a moment, and then lowered his voice to reply. "He has heard that you are powerful, and desires an illustration of that power."   
"What? Have you gone mad? Listen, whoever you are, I don't just go throwing magic around! It's dangerous! Somebody might get hurt!" Lina almost shouted over the rim of her wine glass. In her mind, she could almost hear the replies she'd get from various members of the group, and then her own thought followed close behind. _What are they after? Surely this isn't real… they want me to cast something, but how badly do they want it? And what do they want me to cast?_ A cold chill crept into the pit of her stomach. She still didn't recall what had happened after casting the Giga Slave, and it had made her even more shy of what it was capable of doing. What she was capable of doing.   
His answer was careless, and she saw completely through him in that one moment. "You don't care about most others, Lady Inverse. Why should you   
suddenly affect concern?"   
Her eyes narrowed, and she set the glass on the table beside her. "All right, who are you and what is this place? I don't believe one thing that I see here, and you don't want me to have to find out the hard way. It'll just be easier if you tell me of your own accord."   
He smiled maddeningly, shaking his head. "You'll get nothing from me, Lady Inverse. Go speak with the Crown Prince. He will explain some things," and with that, to Lina's fury, he turned his back on her and walked away.   
Seeing no other recourse, Lina turned on her heel – these shoes were dangerous – and stalked over to the dais upon which Valgarv sat. As she approached, she could feel her anger building tangibly around her. _Get a grip on yourself, Lina. Give him a chance. There's no mazoku in him… maybe this isn't what you think it is._   
As she approached, she watched him rise to his feet, golden eyes settling calmly upon her. _He's so different… I don't know how to read him._ She thought frantically. _What do I do?_   
"Ah... the Lady Inverse. Thank you for gracing us with your presence." She blinked as he offered a bow to her and gestured for her to sit at the empty seat beside him. "Word of your marvelous doings has reached even this far, Lady Inverse, and we desired to meet with you."   
Lina wasn't sure what he was after, or how this was part of her test, but she was willing to play along with it. "You have me at a disadvantage, knowing my name while I do not know yours. Well… here I am. What is it that you want?"   
He looked at her, startled for a moment, and then laughed. "Truly you are the great Kira Inverse! Only she would dare speak such to the Crown Prince Aurin of the Black Dragons! Welcome, Lady, for you are among your equals here."   
_ Kira Inverse? He just called me Kira Inverse? She was the one Inverse that no-one in the family would talk about! There were rumors that she was so powerful that even the Gods listened to her voice. And Luna used to say that I favored her…oh, what did she do that was so awful that she was written out of the Inverse Family Books?_   
Lina smiled thinly, adopting a somewhat more regal stance. "Equals or no, I still want to know why I was summoned. If we are equals, what need have you of me?"   
He laughed again. "Your wit is as quick as your hair is red! We wished to meet the human who had the power of one of our kind. It is not often that we come across that in our lives. Indeed, what we see is the powerful humans destroy themselves before they can attain the abilities that you so carelessly control."   
"Carelessly control? I'll have you know that I know better than to go insulting my equals!" Lina retorted restraining her fury. _Man! What an attitude! I can see how he turned into Valgarv._   
"You are correct, Lady Inverse. Our apologies. We meant simply to test your control. Had you attempted to cast a spell, your life would have ended. But as you have demonstrated a remarkable will, we shall end our spells and allow this marvelous ball to continue." There was a slight shift, and a gentle tingle of magic receding from the edges of her mind.   
_ An anger spell? Was that why my temper seemed so high? Were they deliberately provoking me into casting something? Did Kira cast something and that is why she is not spoken of? Why don't I understand any of this! And what does this have to do with those ruins at Kuroryu?_ Lina muttered to herself. Outwardly, she allowed herself to nod once to Aurin. "Now, perhaps, we can truly stand as equals without a geis on me to provoke unnecessary action."   
He smiled, seemingly embarrassed, and turned to sit. "We have need of you to do something that we cannot. There is a force here that is oppressing us. We have not the ability to do anything about it, for we are forbidden to interfere. You are not forbidden as a human, and we ask you to act on our behalf."   
Lina folded her arms. "What is this force?"   
Aurin shook his head. "That we do not know. Those who have entered the room in which it resides have not returned. So far, it has been content to dwell in a single room and cause havoc from within. But we fear the day that it will decide that the room is not large enough for it."   
Lina tilted her head. _It's obvious that he wants me to go have a look at this thing. But what could be so frightening to a race of Dragons?_ She sighed, shrugging. "Well, I see no choice for it. Show me the room."   
Aurin clapped his hands, and two men approached. They were carrying clothing that looked similar but not precise to Lina's normal clothing. Instead of yellow and pink, it was black and hunter green, just like the dress. The epaulets were trimmed in gold, and there were runes stitched in along the cuffs and edges of everything. The only things that she truly recognized were the amulets that she had acquired from Xellos. "Please feel free to return to your normal clothing. We do not expect you to continue in a ball gown…"   
She grabbed up the clothing and looked around for somewhere to change. A female who looked vaguely similar to the woman who had sent her here beckoned and opened a door to a room for Lina to change within. Darting inside, she was relieved to dispense with the gown and return to somewhat familiar clothing.   
Lina changed in all haste, absently pondering the colors. She actually kind of liked them better. She grabbed the amulets and stepped out of the room, fastening the last one as she walked back up to the dais. "Okay. Where is this room that you want to show me?"   
"Come with me," the woman beckoned.   
Lina followed, more out of a blatant curiosity than any sense of duty. She was still trying to figure out why they were calling her Kira Inverse when the woman stopped short at a large door. Quickly stopping, so she wouldn't run into her guide, Lina turned to look at the door. _There's something very nasty behind that door. I really don't want to go in there._   
The woman waved a hand, and the lock on the door popped, allowing the door to fall open. She motioned Lina to follow her, then stepped into the room.   
Lina swallowed, gathered herself and stepped into the room.   
There was another smallish door, to which the woman was pointing. "It is within that chamber. Others who have gone in have not returned, and we fear that they are gone forever. I dare not go in myself."   
Lina folded her arms. "So you expect me to go in there by myself. Alone." She hadn't faced anything big on her own in a very long time. Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis… they were almost always there now. Even Xellos, for what he was worth, lately. Hell, right now, I'd even settle for Naga being here.   
"You have to help us. We have no-one else that we can turn to," The woman said quietly. "Our best have vanished into the darkness within the room."   
Lina frowned. That wasn't anything she wanted to hear. "Well, fine. But I'm not going in there on an empty stomach. If I'm going to vanish into darkness or whatever, it had better be with a decent amount of food in me. So show me to the food, and then I'll take care of business." It's not quite a stall… but it buys me dinner and some time to think…   
She was led out of the room and down the hall into another room with a table and several chairs. The woman offered her a chair, then stepped through an inner door, leaving Lina alone in the room. Lina sighed and sat in the chair, trying to think of what the mystery darkness could be… and how she could tackle it on her own.   
"It's quite powerful, isn't it?"   
She looked up to see Aurin/Valgarv standing in the doorway. "Yeah. And I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it. But first, I'm going to eat," she replied. _He looks so much kinder than when we had to fight him. It's a pity that he turned into the monster he became. And there's no way I can warn him against it. This isn't the real past._   
He approached slowly, as if perhaps wary of her. "Would you mind if I joined you? I have not yet eaten, and affairs of state always bore me."   
She thought for a moment, then nodded. "That's fine. Mind if I ask some questions, though?"   
He sat easily and shook his head. "By all means, go ahead."   
"First of all," _No… better not tell him that I'm not Kira…_ "When did the strange things begin happening in that room?" She leaned back in the chair and waited for food and an answer.   
He sighed, tilting the chair some as he leaned back. "It started about six days ago… one of the girls went in to gather the silver to polish it… and something had hold of the candlesticks on the fireplace. Poor thing, the monster drained most of her energy before she could pull free. She died as she was trying to warn the guards."   
Lina shuddered as she saw the mental image, shaking her head. "Then what did you do?"   
The door opened and the woman from before entered with food for both Lina and Aurin.   
"We sent priests in to bless the room, but they too were taken by the darkness. They were swallowed whole," Aurin answered sadly.   
Lina stared at the food. _I'm not sure I want to eat anymore… This sounds way too nasty for me alone…_   
"After that, only one managed to enter the room and return. When he came back, he was quite mad and killed himself a day after he had returned."   
Lina picked at the food, then decided that it just might be her last meal… she'd better eat it. She took a bite, then two, then pushed the plate aside. "I can't sit here after hearing that. Anything strong enough to drain three dragons of their power and still want more… I'm going in, and I'm going in now." 

The door to the inner room pulsed with magic. Only it was a dark form of magic that Lina had a suspicion that she'd dealt with before. It made her stomach do flips to consider it, and she was very glad that she hadn't eaten more than she had.   
She touched the door, watching it fall open and looked into the room, a sinking feeling of dread falling over her.   
Shabranigdo.   
Another fragment of the Dark Lord.   
She was in it deep. 

* * *

  
**Help!**   
**It's a Call For Action!**   
**Xellos Changes the Rules!**

She had left the infant sleeping in his crib, knowing that her two erstwhile companions would keep him under close watch. So when she sensed a slight shift in   
the magical atmosphere, she registered it, but didn't really pay it any attention. She was selling vases, and the money would pay for living in the town.   
"My, my… he does have quite a grip, doesn't he?"   
The voice chilled her and she spun around to find Xellos, of all people, holding the infant Valgarv. "Give him back, you filthy Mazoku!"   
Filia reached out, grabbing the child (who had indeed had a very tight grasp on Xellos' finger. It actually took a moment of concerted effort to pry the child's fingers loose from the outstretched hand of the Mazoku Priest.) "How dare you come in here unannounced and try to take Valgarv away from me!?"   
Xellos wagged his now-freed finger at her. "But, Filia, if I were here to simply steal the child, you'd never have known I was here. Only that he was gone."   
She clutched Valgarv more tightly to her. "What do you want, Xellos?" Why does he have to come back and bother me? Why can't he go bother Lina? She thought angrily, feeling the heat of anger burn in her cheeks. Filthy, rotten, miserable Mazoku!   
He scratched the back of his head, trying his best to look innocent for the moment. His arrival wasn't exactly welcomed, he could see. "Well, I'm here on a call for help, Filia."   
"You? Why in the world should I help you? I don't recall ever saying anything about me helping you ever again. Once was quite enough. Why, if Lina hadn't asked me to help you, I would probably have let Valgarv destroy you." She turned away with a hmf, checking Valgarv for bruises. Oddly, the child seemed quite content, considering who had woken him.   
"Actually, Filia, it's not me who needs help. I'm only the messenger this time. Under other, say, more normal circumstances, I'd make light of the situation." Xellos said, an odd quiet in his voice.   
She turned, to look at the Mazoku priest. He looked back at her, eyes open and extremely serious. She hadn't seen him look that serious in… well, she'd never seen him look this serious. "What is it, Xellos?" There was something about his demeanor… W_hat's going on?_ She thought. _Xellos… looks… upset. And I've never known a Mazoku to get upset. It's a trick!_   
"Lina's in trouble."   
"Lina? Where is she? What can I do? It's a trick, isn't it, Xellos?" Filia asked, still holding Valgarv.   
"Oh, it's no trick, Filia. She's in Kuroryu. Valgarv's descendants are testing her and she's about to fail. Worse than that, in her failure, there is little doubt that she will die," he replied, eyes dark and shadowed. "Were it anyone else, I probably wouldn't care. But my Lady has decided that Lina Inverse should live a bit longer."   
Filia's tail popped out from under her skirt. "Kuroryu? I can't allow that! We have to help her at once! Jiras, close up the shop! I'm taking Valgarv out for a while!"   
Xellos smiled faintly. Filia did have some redeeming qualities, after all. It was a pity…   
"Well, what are you waiting for, Xellos? Let's go! Honestly!" Filia fussed. 

Amelia shook her head to clear it. She was still somewhat confused over what had happened. Had she passed her test? Where was she now? She looked around, recognizing the room as the main hall of Kuroryu, only much older than she had just seen it. And there were Xellos and Filia…?   
"Amelia, Lina's in trouble." Xellos opened with no preamble. "I'm trying to get everyone out from the spell that Elena has cast, but it's not easy. You stay here with Filia and Valgarv until I can bring everyone here."   
"Miss Lina's in trouble?" Amelia asked, but Xellos had vanished.   
Filia and Amelia looked at each other, then down at Valgarv as the infant started to sniffle.   
"Xellos told me that Lina's going to fail her test, and probably die." Filia told Amelia, shifting the child so that he was sitting up in her arms. He still wasn't entirely happy, and kept sniffling to prove it. 

Xellos turned around and around, looking up and down the rocky coastline. Damn! Trust the chimera not to stay where he was supposed to. It would have been easier if Zelgadis had simply stayed in the Inbetween.   
"Xellos, what are you doing here?"   
The Mazoku looked down to see Zelgadis sitting on some rocks by the water. "Actually, Zelgadis, I was looking for you. It seems that Lina's gotten herself into some trouble."   
Zelgadis tossed another rock into the water, without looking behind him. "And why should I believe you? Is this another part of my test?" It figured that the chimera would be skeptical. It was part of that one's nature, after all. "It's Lina's test, Zelgadis. We have to break the spell that Elena has cast and keep Lina alive."   
Zelgadis now turned to look at Xellos. "Keep Lina alive? If you're lying to me, Xellos, I'll have to kill you. You do know that." He stood slowly, cloak flaring out behind him as the breeze caught it. Show-off.   
Xellos' smile was twisted. "If I'm lying to you, Zelgadis, then you have my permission. I'm sure to enjoy it, either way."   
With that, the Mazoku vanished, and the area around Zelgadis resolved into the hall of Kuroryu… with Amelia, Filia and the infant Valgarv standing nearby.   
The child was doing his best to set up for a squall, and both Filia and Amelia were unsuccessfully trying to keep him quiet. Valgarv just seemed to want to fuss.   
Zelgadis arched an eyebrow at Filia's presence, opening his mouth to ask why Filia was here with the infant, then turned halfway to see someone standing in the shadows, watching. Hand on his the hilt of his sword, he called out: "Who's there? Show yourself!"   
A young man stepped forward, face mostly hidden by hair cascading across his eyes. He wore white pants and a loose-fitting shirt, cuffs embroidered heavily in silver script that matched the writing on the walls.   
The little group gasped as they individually recognized him. Aurin, the Crown Prince of the Ancient Black Dragons… also known as Valgarv, the Demon Dragon King.   
He lifted his head, golden eyes settling on Filia and his expression darkened. "What are you doing in Kuroryu?" His voice was soft, but there was no mistaking the dangerous edge it contained.   
Zelgadis' grip on his sword grew tighter. Valgarv. Was this the trouble that Xellos had been talking about? Either way, Filia, Amelia, and the child were in danger.   
"What is a Golden Dragon doing in Kuroryu? Are you not yet satisfied with our destruction? Have you come to completely erase our memory from the ground we lived upon?" Aurin asked.   
The infant started to cry, a protest against Filia's tightened embrace. His powerful scream emanated from her arms, echoing through the hall like the memory of a long-ago cry.   
"It's not like that, Aurin!" Amelia cried. "We're here to help one of our friends who is being tested by the girl who served at your side! You called her Lalli! She came and brought word of the fighting!" She was grasping at anything to hopefully identify herself. He'd been so kind to her in her test. If he were the same…   
The golden eyes switched to Amelia. Recognition flickered within them and then his attention was drawn to the child, who was still exclaiming his protest to Filia's embrace. "What is a Golden Dragon doing with a Black Dragon infant?"   
Filia's eyes watered. This was almost too much for her. She'd asked herself the same question before, and heard herself give him the selfsame answer: "Because we are both the last of our kinds. It was my people who committed the sins… only I am left who can atone. He is my life now…"   
Aurin reached out, his magic enveloping the child and pulling him out of Filia's arms. She couldn't catch him, watching in horror as the child floated across to Aurin. His magics blocked hers as she tried to take the child forcibly back by magic. He was older, more powerful than she, even in spirit form.   
Zelgadis drew his sword, eyes narrowing as he watched for any sudden attempts on the adult's part to steal the child away.   
The infant settled into Aurin's arms and two mirrored sets of golden eyes locked. The child fell silent, smiled, and then suddenly, was gone. Vanished.   
Before Filia or Amelia could register that fact, Zelgadis was advancing on the image of Valgarv. "Where is he?"   
"I see," the other said. "You may stop, Zelgadis. I will explain."   
Zelgadis checked himself, coming to a stop, eyes glaring. He wasn't sheathing his sword. Not yet. Not until he had answers.   
Filia held her hands to her lips, wondering. She suspected, but could she be certain that she knew what had happened? If he didn't tell them, perhaps he would tolerate her asking. Surely the child aspect would speak in her favor…?   
"The child and I are one and the same. He was reborn so that I might return. I am Aurin, the Crown Prince of Kuroryu. During the war of Kuroryu, I was injured beyond living. Bitter and misguided, I took Garv's offer for revenge. I was wrong. I thought that revenge would help my people rest. Instead, I see now that it only created more hardships. You did well to see beyond that, Golden Dragon Priestess Filia Ul Copt. You chose not to fight, but to love. You could not have known our history. They did not teach it to you. Instead, you loved for what you saw within."   
Amelia fingered the silvery bracelet at her wrist. Aurin had saved her life by giving her this… and given up his life in exchange for it. It hadn't been a dream, then. The test had been reality all along.   
"I understand all but one thing now…" Aurin said quietly, head bowed and eyes unreadable.   
Amelia looked up from the bracelet, tilting her head and looking at him. "What don't you understand?"   
Aurin pointed. "Why you travel with him."   
Xellos stood there, a completely confused Gourry standing next to him.   
"That's a long story. But, I'm afraid that it will just have to wait," Xellos replied, the sphere in his staff beginning to glow as he cast the complex spell that would break the barrier around the reality which Lina Inverse was within. "Right now, it's time to go help Lina." 

Lina herself was having what she considered the worst day of her life. It even ranked below the day she got caught selling tickets to her sister's bathing site. She fired off a volley of flare arrows and took off for the other direction, wondering how long she could buy herself some time to figure out how to get the better of Shabranigdo. She didn't have the Sword of Light, and the Laguna Blade could only do so much… unless she aimed it precisely. And cast it boosted.   
It was enough to give her a headache.   
Then again, a headache was better than dead.   
Twisting out of Shabranigdo's attack, she drew her arms across her chest. "Lord of the Darkness and the Four Worlds, I call upon you, grant me all the power that you possess!"   
She felt his curiosity, but wouldn't grant him the thought of an explanation. Instead, she took the power of her talismans and cast both levitation and a shield against harm. Then, drawing her hands together, eyes closed, she began to chant:   
"A mere component of the Lord of Nightmares could release understanding upon the world frozen into the dark knife of annihilation." She felt, more than saw the attack and dodged it easily. "With our power, with our essence, together, we can destroy all who cross our path. Spirits of the gods, deliver your smiting blow..."   
Her eyes opened, "LAGUNA BLADE!"   
The blade of darkness formed, massive and destructive. With both hands, she tore it through the air and into Shabranigdo's head. A brilliant flare erupted, followed by an angry howl from her enemy. She'd done some damage there.   
But he wasn't destroyed and she knew it. She'd only bought herself a few moments more.   
Those moments flew, precious and fleeting, and then his physical attack came from behind. She hadn't expected that. It pierced her protective shield and caught her about the waist, upending her. He threw her up against the far wall, and for a moment, she thought she heard Gourry call her name. Then, suddenly, she felt Shabranigdo let her go and she was falling. Her body hit the floor, her mind suddenly falling on into the Astral Plane as he pushed her on further into the Astral Plane.   
"Is this what you want, Shabranigdo? My death?" She asked, falling. Levitation and Ray Wing didn't work in the Astral Plane, and she knew that the longer she fell while unconscious, the lower her chances of living were.   
"No," he bothered to reply. "I want my rebirth. Through you."   
Something within her snapped, a spell coming unbidden but welcome to her lips. "There's no way I'm letting you be reborn through me." She didn't bother casting the boost spell, it wouldn't matter and she knew it. She took a moment, then began the spell as she fell through the Astral Plane. The only thought that crossed her mind for a fleeting moment was that Dark Star had counteracted the talismans when she had tried to cast the Giga Slave. Would Shabranigdo be able to do the same? She had to try.   
"Darkness beyond blackest pitch, deeper than the deepest night!" I'd rather call Her again and take my chances before I let you back into the world, Shabranigdo. "Lord of Darkness, shining like gold upon the Sea of Chaos, I call upon thee, swear myself to thee!" Gourry… Zel… Amelia… forgive me. I won't be coming back from this one… She landed back in her own battered body, standing as she called the last line: "Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed by the power you and I possess!" She didn't bother to try to control it, felt the touch of the Lord of Nightmares and a moment's thought explained the entire situation to Her. This time, it felt different. The darkness didn't surround her and swallow her whole. A golden glow began to fill the room, pulsing out over her hands, spilling out towards Shabranigdo. 

The room was filled with a strange light when Xellos managed to push through the barrier and bring everyone into the room. They didn't have time to register shock at seeing Shabranigdo before two chilling words were called out by the source of the strange light, Lina.   
"GIGA SLAVE!!" 

* * *

  
**Defeat!**   
**Rebirth!**   
**It's One or the Other…**

Lina stood on the Sea of Chaos and watched the battle from the sudden distance. The others, her friends, were there now, but they had arrived too late. She had already finished casting the Giga Slave. She could see the looks of grim dismay on their faces, her friends all reacting in varying stages of regret. "I'm sorry…" she whispered. "There was no other way…"   
**_ You made the choice, Lina Inverse. Had you but waited a moment or two more… perhaps this would have ended differently?_**   
"I might be dead and Shabranigdo would have been reborn. I couldn't have that. I couldn't just allow that to happen without doing anything to stop it," Lina answered, and then turned to look for who had spoken to her. "Who… who's there?"   
**_ I am. You summoned Me, so I came._**   
Lina swallowed, eyes widening. "The… Lord of Nightmares…? I… summoned you?"   
There was a shimmer of gold that began to coalesce before her, and Lina stepped involuntarily back to see the shimmering and formless Golden One before her. **_My Power is My Mind. My Mind is My Power. I am that which you summoned to your hand._**   
"And I…" Lina considered this. "I don't remember what happened the last time that I cast the Giga Slave. Did you come then too? All I recall is darkness…"   
**_ You were unprepared. You cast the spell in desperation without truly understanding the nature of it, even though you had seen the records of the Claire Bible. Now you see. And understand._**   
"And now I understand? Not really. So what happens now? What happens to Shabranigdo? And my friends?" She didn't ask about herself. Why bother? She already had a suspicion. Her life was for forfeit, as illustrated so clearly in the Claire Bible.   
**_ That rests entirely upon you, Lina Inverse. There is much that you need to know, descendant of Kira Inverse._**   
Lina stared at the achingly beautiful golden figure. "What about Kira Inverse? I don't know much about her."   
**_ Yes. There is a reason for that. Kira Inverse was my Knight. Much as your sister Luna is the Knight of Cepheid, Kira Inverse was the Knight of Chaos. Your family has always served the Gods in one form or another. Did you not know that, Lina Inverse? It is the reason that your family is as powerful as it is._**   
Lina staggered, thunderstruck by the Golden One's words.   
**_ I have waited until now to offer you that which I offered Kira many years ago. I offer you the chance to stand as the Knight of Chaos. My Power, My Mind._**   
Lina's mouth fell open as she considered. "But… I've seen what the Giga Slave… what your power is capable of… I don't want to destroy the world. Or myself in the process."   
**_ You have seen what happens when one who is not of Chaos casts the spell. You are elemental of Chaos, and therefore I offer. What you have seen_**   
**_in the Claire Bible does not apply to you._**   
"But why… me?"   
**_ You are a reflection of Kira Inverse. Unpredictable, untamed. You are as wild as the flame and as Chaotic as I. I am merely the living embodiment of Chaos._**   
"I think I'm flattered." _It's not every day that you have the Mother of All Darkness showering you with offers of power and compliments. If I take this… what happens to me?_   
**_You will continue to be Lina Inverse. Just as Kira continued to be herself._**   
Lina stared out over the frozen battle scene. She somehow knew that time was not stopped; she was merely removed from it, suspended in a moment between the moments. "I don't really have a choice, do I? I mean, it's either you or Shabranigdo there… and personally, I like you better…. Wait a minute. You can hear my thoughts?"   
**_ I hear a great many things, Lina Inverse. Then you have made your decision?_**   
Lina held up her hand. "With a consideration, if you will."   
**_ A consideration? _**The Lord of Nightmares looked amused.**_ Not everyone asks a god for a consideration._**   
"Yeah, well, I'm not everyone," Lina returned. She found that she wasn't at all afraid of the Lord of Nightmares, and wondered fleetingly if that was a good or a bad thing.   
**_Very well. You have my interest. What is your consideration?_**   
"I don't want to be immortal. If I die, I die. There's too much in life to experience, and too much to lose if I'm immortal. There's fear… relief… love… that   
moment of breathless panic as you move to avoid an attack…"   
**_ Indeed. Kira Inverse asked the same._**   
"Huh? Is she still alive?" Lina asked.   
**_ She is retired. And she lives in a town that is known to you. Perhaps, after this, you will wish to visit with her. She will have valuable advice._**   
"Maybe I'd like that. But right now, there's something I've got to take care of. Shall we?"   
**_ By all means._**   
"By the way… what should I call you?"   
The laugh shimmered. **_There are those who call Me L-Sama._**

The air around Lina shimmered, and suddenly, she was back in her own body staring down at Shabranigdo. The pulse of power that streamed through her was incredible. Incredible and wild… and controlled. The power of the Lord of Nightmares was perfectly contained. By her. Lina Inverse.   
"She's cast the Giga Slave! We're too late!" Amelia shouted over the noise of Shabranigdo's anger.   
"But she's only standing there!" Zelgadis said, drawing his sword. Last time he had opened his eyes to see the Golden One standing there, Phibrizo had been gone, destroyed by the magic that She possessed.   
"That's not Lina," Xellos kneeled to the golden image of Lina and lowered his head over his staff. Zelas Metallium would not like this one bit, and he'd have a good amount of explaining to do. Lina Inverse was not supposed to die, and Xellos didn't like to fail. Not only was it bad for his image, it made the Beastmaster all the harder to mollify. His boss took her role in the Game quite personally, and failures were inexcusable. He was certain this meant another few years of pain for him… and it wasn't the kind he'd enjoy.   
Filia and Aurin, not having seen Xellos defer to the Lord of Nightmares before, stared in shock. If that wasn't Lina, then who was it? And Xellos…? "A Mazoku even defers to her?" Aurin whispered to Filia, who shrugged in confusion. She had no idea what as going on.   
Gourry only watched in dismay, shaking his head. He still couldn't remember what had happened the last time she had cast the Giga Slave, but he knew that it wasn't good that she had cast it again. Silently, he drew the Sword of Light, Golunova. 

"Xellos, get up. I'm not the Lord of Nightmares."   
The Mazoku was so surprised that he opened his eyes and stared at her. It was most definitely Lina. A dark smile started across his face. Now she was truly his equal, and worthy of the challenge he could prepare for her. He'd been wrong. The Beastmaster would be well pleased.   
Shock and horror rippled through the group as Lina turned to face down Shabranigdo. Zelgadis, dismayed, moved to stand by Xellos. "What did she do, Mazoku?"   
"I would imagine that the Lord of Nightmares is even more capricious than we had thought. It seems that she has chosen Lina as her Knight," the Trickster Priest replied as he stood and looked back to the rest of the group.   
Amelia stood quietly beside Gourry, the both of them looking shocked, but grimly determined to see this through to the end, no matter how bitter it might yet be.   
Filia and Aurin were the most confused, having no idea exactly what Lina had done, but ready to take their part in whatever the battle was to bring.   
Both chimera and Mazoku turned around as Lina began to speak.   
**_ "Darkness beyond the blackest pitch, deeper than the deepest night! Lord of Nightmares, shining like gold upon the Sea of Chaos, I call upon thee, swear myself to thee! Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed by the power you and I possess! GIGA SLAVE!!"_**   
As the final words echoed through the room, a brilliant gold light escaped from Lina's hands, spilling out and towards Shabranigdo. The light pierced him, illuminating thousands of tiny little cracks all along Shabranigdo's form from where it was pouring into him.   
Lina raised her hand, and the cracks all began to enlarge, the power of the Lord of Nightmares destroying Shabranigdo from the inside out.   
Zelgadis, Amelia, Filia and Aurin all cast shields, and as the first few fragments of the Dark Lord came flying towards them, Zelgadis looked back and saw that Amelia was shielding Gourry, but not herself.   
Then the explosion came and washed over them all 

Lina opened her eyes to a gray nothingness that stretched off as far as she could see. Sitting up, her first thought was that she had somehow lost the battle, even with the Lord of Nightmares on her side.   
But as she stood and turned around to look, there were the others, picking themselves up out of the clouds of seeming nothingness.   
First she saw Filia and Xellos lift their heads, followed by… Aurin. What was he doing here? Then there was Gourry, and Zelgadis.   
"Where's Amelia?" Lina asked. She had seen the girl before she had returned to the battle from her discussion with the Lord of Nightmares.   
Zelgadis' eyes widened and he turned. "Amelia! She wasn't shielding herself? Amelia?!"   
One by one, the little group began calling and searching for the Princess of Sailune.   
"Oh, great! Her father will kill me!" Lina began to rant. "Amelia! If you're hiding 'cause I cast the Giga Slave, you can come out now. I'm still me, and I don't intend to be anyone else anytime soon! Amelia?!"   
A few more moments of panic followed, then Gourry called out. "I think I found her."   
Oddly enough, the ones who moved the fastest were Zelgadis and Aurin. They both picked her up, but Zelgadis was the one to cradle her.   
"Damn it, Amelia! Why didn't you shield yourself as well?"   
Lina approached slowly, fearing the worst. She softened at Zelgadis' outburst, her gaze shifting from the quiet figure of Amelia to the stony expression of her chimeric companion. _So he does like her. I suppose that's not all bad…_   
There was a faint cough, and Amelia stirred in Zelgadis' arms. He looked down in time to see Amelia scrunch up her eyes, then blink them open and look up. As his face came into focus, she blinked widely, then a blush filled her cheeks.   
Suddenly realizing how things must look, Zelgadis blushed too. Bother. "You didn't shield yourself," he chided.   
Amelia lifted her arm, the bracelet shining silver on her wrist. "I didn't need to. Aurin's bracelet…"   
"Would keep her safe. I gave that to you so long ago... the day that the Golden Dragons attacked…" Aurin finished, kneeling to Amelia. "It was you there, wasn't it? But I don't understand…"   
"I will explain."   
They all turned, looking to the woman who had appeared in the center of what they now could see was the room back in the hall of Kuroryu. Xellos dropped his staff and Lina took a defensive position, but the woman waved her hand.   
"Yes, you two are right to hate me… there were things that I could not explain before. You see… not all of this was a test. Under the guise of a test, I managed to bring you here to aid us."   
Lina dropped her hand. "Aid you? What do you mean, Elena?"   
"I was being controlled by Shabranigdo. Somehow I had to find a way to bring help to destroy him. And testing you seemed the best way. I knew that Lina Inverse would discover the underlying truth and do as she had done before: destroy the fragment of the Dark Lord Shabranigdo."   
Aurin frowned. "I remember… after that ball with Kira Inverse… you were changed. Your joy of life was gone. Then Amelia came and the Golden Dragons attacked…"   
"They attacked because of Shabranigdo, didn't they? They knew the fragment of the Dark Lord was hidden in Kuroryu. You managed to change the story, telling everyone that they were attacking because of the powers you protected," Lina said, head tilted as if she were listening to something.   
"You didn't want Kuroryu to die, so you brought Amelia into it as her test. But you didn't expect that Aurin would give her his bracelet. You never expected him to die. And you didn't expect Amelia to cast the healing spell on you. It helped to break Shabranigdo's hold, and you knew that you bring me into the story and take care of Shabranigdo."   
Elena looked away. "Nothing went as I had hoped it would go. I couldn't even tell Xellos what was happening. However, he managed to come through in the end."   
Lina turned to look at the Mazoku, and was surprised to see him blushing. "Xellos?"   
"Lalli… Elena and I were in love a very long time ago," the Trickster Priest admitted.   
Aurin rounded on Elena. "You? And that… Mazoku?"   
Elena looked down. "I… was always drawn to the darker…"   
"Which made it easy for Shabranigdo to control you," Lina said. "And when you realized it, it was too late."   
"But I don't understand," Amelia said, standing up out of the embarrassing embrace. "What does this have to do with the humans of Kuroryu?"   
"They are all dragons. They are all the Ancient Black Dragons. Shabranigdo's magic forced them to forget who and what they were," Lalli replied.   
Xellos' expression darkened. "Then you were lying to me."   
"Shabranigdo is the Lord of Darkness, Xellos. Lies to him are nothing unusual." Lina pointed out.   
"So does anyone have a clue where the Princess is now? Isn't that what we were truly here to do? Rescue the Princess of Kuroryu?" Zelgadis asked, trying to return the conversation to something a bit more realistic.   
"Hey, he's right!" Gourry exclaimed, looking around. "Little girl?"   
"My name is Zhiya, and I'm right here. Can we go home? I have to kill my brother. I mean, I'm worth a lot more than two hundred gold coins!"   
The entire group looked around, and started to laugh.   
Lina reached out and ruffled the girl's hair. "Yeah… come on, kiddo. Let's go see your brother." 

* * *

  
**The City of Dragons**   
**Peace and Quiet at Last**   
**Return to Kuroryu!**

Lina sat back, looking at the table that had been covered with food – until the little group had managed to break away from all the joyful villagers and sat to eat. She looked around the table, noting empty chairs and still-untouched plates. Xellos had eaten and departed, but Zelgadis' plate was untouched, the chimera sitting silently and watching with a quiet gaze.   
Amelia's plate was only slightly touched, and she was quite happily chattering away at anyone who happened to be listening… which largely amounted to the fact that Amelia was talking to herself again. Gourry's plate was empty, and he was staring out into space… but that wasn't anything unusual for her blonde sidekick.   
Filia was somewhere, off on the tour with Aurin, learning the town and helping where she could with her magics.   
So it was down to the four of them again.   
Just like… normal.   
Normal. Who was she kidding? Nothing would ever be normal again, would it? She'd cast the Giga Slave twice in a row and taken on as the Knight of Chaos. In fact, the more that she thought about it, the more unnerved by it she became. What, ultimately, had she chosen to do? What would she become now? Lina Inverse, Chaos Knight. She pushed a little more food around on her own plate, trying to work up an appetite and failing. Too much had happened, and while Lina was typically not one to lose her appetite to something… this certainly had sapped her energy reserves.   
**_ You are the same as you have been and will be._**   
The mind-voice of the Lord of Nightmares startled her, and she dropped her fork, looking around guiltily as her three companions turned to stare at her.   
"Lina? You aren't eating. That isn't like you," Zelgadis commented pointedly.   
"I keep thinking about what happened, that's all. I'll be fine." Lina replied with a forced smile, and returning to picking at her food in an attempt to look like she was eating something.   
"Mmmhmm," the chimera replied non-committally, avoiding the fact that his plate was still full as well.   
"What?" Lina managed to squeak, trying to seem like her old self. She knew that she wasn't convincing Zelgadis, but Gourry and Amelia looked fairly content with her acting. "So… Zel… what was your test about?"   
Immediately the chimera's blue stone cheeks tinged red and he picked up his water goblet and answered gruffly before taking a drink. "It wasn't worth the lesson learned."   
"Oh?" Lina asked, mentally wondering at the blush, but deciding not to ask at the moment. For an instant, she was filled with her old careless curiosity and almost gave into asking… but no, she'd let him get away with it for now. "So what was the lesson, Zel?"   
He set the goblet down, considering. "That which is perceived isn't always the truth. What we see before us is only a part of the whole, as evidenced in the case with the Golden Dragons against the Ancient Black Dragons. What they thought was the Black Dragons hoarding power was truly Shabranigdo manipulating the Black Dragons and using his own power." He paused, setting the goblet down. "Had the Golden Dragons looked beyond what they thought was the truth, to see the other side of the story, perhaps they would have discovered the fragment of Shabranigdo themselves and aided the Black Dragons instead of destroying them."   
Everyone looked at Zelgadis, startled. That had been quite possibly the longest statement he'd ever offered on a single subject.   
"Um… excuse me, but, Mister Zelgadis…?" Amelia ventured. "You're blushing."   
"That is none of your business, Amelia. Why don't you tell us about your bracelet, and how you know Aurin?" The chimera countered, cheeks taking on a new tinge of pink. Lina decided it was rather cute.   
"Oh… that was part of my test. I went back to before the City of Kuroryu was attacked by the Golden Dragons," Amelia muttered, fingering the bracelet. It did have some very odd properties.   
"And…?" Lina prompted, deciding to let Zelgadis slip out of this once again. She'd have to drag it out of him later, for certain, because he'd been behaving quite oddly all through the dinner. Not that he ever ate as much as she did… and she wasn't eating much either.   
"Well, I was there just before the attack, and Aurin had decided to give me his bracelet to protect me because I wasn't a dragon at all, and I wasn't involved with the… problems. I suppose, in a sense, that it's my fault that Aurin was put in the position where Garv could take advantage of his anger."   
"Forget that. If Aurin hadn't given you the bracelet, who says that we'd have gotten back together? It's all a blessing and a curse, isn't it? I mean, if all of this really truly was us passing through time, which I'm not saying can't happen… it's amazing how one small thing can affect the path of things to come," Lina said.   
Zelgadis, who was right in the middle of taking a drink of water, found himself choking at Lina's words. Passage through time? Not what he went through…   
Amelia hmmed. "Well, I suppose that's true…" She broke off, looking over to Zelgadis in concern.   
**_ That which happens, usually does so for a reason, Lina Inverse. Even if that reason is both beyond your comprehension and the embodiment of the Chaos inherent to you._**   
Lina looked up and blanched. "Me?"   
Everyone looked at Lina, blinking. Zelgadis caught his breath, rose an eyebrow, and remarked as calmly as he could: "Well."   
Sitting on the edge of the table, perched, was the mirror reflection of Lina Inverse. Only she glowed with a brilliant golden sheen, an aura that enfolded and rippled around her, hinting at powers both easily carried and commanded by simple act of will.   
"Ano…" Lina said, cringing slightly in her chair and suddenly abstractly wishing she were somewhere else. "This would be… the Lord of Nightmares…"   
The group simply stared at the Golden One in astonishment. There She was, right there. It wasn't like they needed Her for anything… so why had she come to pay them a visit?   
** Aren't you quite… interesting in that form? My, my. How time flies, L-Sama. I had not known that you were requiring a new Knight. You should have told me. I knew a few… candidates.**   
The figure of the Lord of Nightmares turned with everyone else to see a tall and achingly beautiful blonde woman leaning against the wall in a frightfully scanty white slip of a dress, gold bracelets clinking as she took a puff from her cigarette.   
"Oh no… don't tell me that's Beastmaster Zelas…" Lina's voice trailed off.   
**_ Metallium. Yes. That is the Lady Beastmaster herself._** The Lord of Nightmares answered Lina before slipping off the table to walk regally towards the Beastmaster. **_It has been long since we have spoken, Zelas. You've changed form again as well. But it was not I who chose her, you will find. Chaos chooses for Itself with a very capricious sense of humor._**   
"Um… Miss Lina? Is this going to be a family reunion?" Amelia asked warily.   
Before Lina could answer, the doors burst open from both sides of the hall, Filia came rushing in from one end shouting something about a celebratory ball, while Xellos was dashing in from the other side with a hurried phasing over to his Mistress and kneeling. It was enough to give Lina a near-instantaneous headache.   
Filia came to a screeching halt, tail extended and stared. "What is the meaning of this!?" She screeched, doing nothing to help the situation, as normal.   
Lina put her head down on the table. "Filia… not now… please?"   
** There is to be a ball? How lovely. Xellos, rise.**   
Xellos did as instructed, keenly aware of the Lord of Nightmare's scrutiny. He had not intended to become involved with her… but his Mistress called… and he had no choice but to answer.   
** You have done well, General-Priest. For that, you shall have a reward. Enjoy the ball, Xellos. Tonight will be yours. **The Beastmaster turned to the Lord of Nightmares.** Shall we, L-Sama? I feel that there is much to discuss now that you have a new Knight.**   
**_ By all means, Zelas. Come… let us go. There are new rules to be discussed._**   
"Mistress…?" Xellos ventured, opening his eyes and lifting a gloved hand.   
The Beastmaster simply smiled faintly. **You'll find out, Xellos.**   
And then the two vanished, leaving a highly perplexed group of people behind them to contemplate what had just occurred.   
Lina looked up at the ornate ceiling and sighed. This was going to be a very long night. She didn't want to participate in the ball, and she was about to stand up and make an offhand comment about going to go sleep everything off in order to slip out of the room, but stopped as some strange magic sense tingled at her mind, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Xellos turn white and nearly fall.   
"Xellos?" Lina asked, turning back to face him, her voice a little sharper than it ought to have been. No-one else seemed to notice his momentary slip of façade, an she thought it might just be related to her new… rank.   
Xellos smiled uneasily, waving it off. "Just a momentary lapse, Lina. Don't worry about a thing." He lifted his hand, then froze, eyes snapping open as he looked across to see Lina standing there, watching him.   
He hadn't phased out of the room. He'd meant to. He'd tried to. He'd cast the relatively simple spell with every intention of going home and trying to figure out what his Mistress had meant. It suddenly crept over him with a dread certainty. If he was right, he could be in a whole lot of trouble if the others suspected.   
"Mister Xellos…?" Now Amelia had noticed, and slowly, so was everyone else. Murmurs began, Zelgadis and Gourry considering with Filia. The chimera's eyes shifted back to Xellos, a strange glint of suspicion forming within them, Xellos was certain.   
Xellos' mind started working overtime. There was something missing, his understanding of a whole lot of things wasn't there. It was as if someone had switched him off… his perspective of the world suddenly falling into a seriously one-dimensional view. Oh yes, this was very bad indeed… suddenly human and standing in the same room with Lina Inverse, Gourry Gabriev, Amelia wil Tesla de Sailune, Zelgadis Greywords, and Filia ul Copt… this could easily get him very, very, dead. He only hoped that none of them would catch on to this fact.   
Lina stood, walking around the table and looking at the stunned Mazoku. "You're human, Xellos."   
Her simple statement silenced everyone in the room.   
"Human…" Xellos echoed. "She…" He wasn't sure how to feel about this. And now that Lina had gone and told everyone… he knew they were going to kill him, and hoped that his Mistress would have the good graces to resurrect him back into Her services. "Oh my… how inconvenient." He laughed slightly, taking a step back as Lina's eyes darkened and she put her hands together for a spell.   
Lina smiled darkly. "I could give you payback for everything you've ever done to me right now, Xellos, and you couldn't do a thing to stop me." She let her hands fall apart. "But I think that being human is enough payback."   
Lalli's voice startled everyone, for they hadn't noticed her enter via one of the open doors. "Xellos..? Are you truly human?"   
Xellos turned, scratching the back of his head in his unconscious gesture he'd picked up so many centuries ago. "It would seem so. At least… for the… night." His gaze settled on Lalli and a smile began to fight its way to his lips. "And I imagine that it will take me even longer to get ready for the ball now."   
Lina, Amelia, Zelgadis and Filia all facefaulted. Gourry, in a brilliant flash of deduction came to a very verbal conclusion. "Now you can dance with Lalli at the ball, Xellos! You won't have to worry about being a Mazoku."   
Xellos had the grace to blush as he stepped towards the door, hurrying Lalli out with him.   
Lina, Amelia and Zelgadis all turned to stare at Gourry, while Filia simply shook her head in amazement. It made sense to her, all of a sudden. Gourry must be right.   
"Gourry, where did you come up with that idea?" Lina asked him, all the while convinced that the blonde swordsman had somehow stumbled upon the simple truth that no-one else could have possibly seen: Xellos had been in love with Lalli for a very long time.   
Gourry shrugged, looking pleased with himself. "I don't know, Lina. It just came to me."   
Lina shook her head, holding up her hand. "Nevermind. I don't even want to know now. I guess we all ought to go get ready for the ball. It just wouldn't do to upset Aurin after all of this."   
Amelia beamed brightly. "That's the spirit, Miss Lina! But Miss Filia… what will we do about clothing…"   
Filia brightened, letting all concerns falling away in her typical fashion. "Of course we'll all go to our rooms, clothing has been selected for us to try on and choose from."   
"May as well get this over with…" Zelgadis muttered, standing and walking to the door.   
One by one the little group filed out of the room, each suddenly lost in their own collective thoughts of Dragons, Shabranigdo, and the Lord of Nightmares. 

* * *

  
**The Ball!**   
**Choices Are Made**   
**At Midnight in the Garden**

Lina Inverse, Chaos Knight, took a deep breath and steadied her nerves. Well, there was nothing for it. She had to go out there in this… dress… and prove that she was fine. Otherwise, she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that someone would come into her borrowed chambers and accuse her of trying to hide from the world.   
Well, she was.   
She hadn't yet had time for the fact that she was now the Second Hand of Chaos to settle in. Let alone the fact that her mysterious relative Kira Inverse had previously held said position and rank in the Grand Scheme of things.   
So there it was. And here she was, still standing with her hand on the doorknob her ankles trying not to wobble in the unfamiliar shoes.   
Bother.   
It would be so much easier to cast a fireball on the whole mess of it and take off into the night. Just like she'd done so many years ago… before she had the misfortune of attracting Naga's attention. She'd been relatively happy then, hadn't she? On her own… blasting bandits and taking their treasures? Sure, she still blasted bandits, but she wasn't alone anymore, and she wasn't necessarily the determiner of her own Fate, now, was she? Chaos had intervened, and now she found herself faced with a much bigger role in life. Somehow that still didn't settle well with her. Yeah, sure, once she had wanted fame and all the glory that went with it… but she was getting tired of people knowing her name before she walked into town. And now they'd know her as Chaos Knight instead of Dragon Spooker. She couldn't decide which was worse.   
**_ You are still Lina Inverse. Will you not simply accept this as a part of yourself? you did, after all, choose this path by casting the Giga Slave for the second time._**   
Lina turned to see the Lord of Nightmares standing there, wearing her own face. "I only chose it because it was what I had to do to keep Shabranigdo from being reborn through me."   
**_ Is that truly the case, Lina? Are you simply trying to push your way out of the situation or run away from it?_**   
Lina's cheeks burned, her voice snappish as she retorted with: "I'm not running away from anything!"   
**_ You must know that Chaos is a part of you. It is inherent to your very ability to entwine spells, to envision a singular different aspect of the magic that you learned as elemental magics. Even as you create a new spell, you draw upon the Chaos that is within you._**   
Lina opened her mouth to protest, but found that she could not. Everything the Lord of Nightmares said was true. She knew that Chaos was part of her magic… knew it was a very integral part of herself… and probably why trouble always seemed to find her so easily. She sighed and shook her head. "You're right. You're right and I can't say anything to dispute you. But what happens now? You'll have to forgive me, but no-one's ever offered me the power of Chaos before."   
The Lord of Nightmares laughed softly. **_There is no true change, Lina Inverse. There is nothing that shows outwardly to reveal that you are the Knight of Chaos. You could flaunt it, as Xellos does…_**   
Lina shook her head violently. "No way. Popping in and out like that is distracting, unnerving and just the least bit annoying. And he's never around when you need him!"   
**_ The Lord of Nightmares shook her head. I'll mention that. Go, enjoy the ball, Lina Inverse. Do not worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself. It always has, and always shall._**   
There was a shimmer, and Lina found herself staring at thin air. _Well… time to go to the ball._   
She opened the door. 

Amelia couldn't decide what was keeping Miss Lina from the ball… unless it was the selection of gowns that the Golden Dragons had set aside for her. All of hers had been particularly lovely, and it had taken Amelia a very long time to finally settle on the rose-colored one. But she knew all too well that this type of dress was quite possibly the very last thing Lina would ever put on herself willingly. She turned to say something to Zelgadis, and froze.   
Lina Inverse stood at the top of the stairs. At least, Amelia thought it was Lina.   
The redheaded sorceress looked a little awkward standing there, a gloved hand resting on the staircase railing. Her hair was pulled up, the black ribbon out of the way for once, revealing the tiny mage-marks at her forehead. Several soft red strands fell down into curls around her throat and shoulders. She was wearing a simple golden gown, a sleeveless bodice with a long and loosely flowing skirt that made Amelia think of the liquid gold of the Lord of Nightmare's powers for a moment.   
With a start, Amelia realized how small Lina truly was. It wasn't at all that she was underdeveloped. Lina was just… tiny. Without all of her regalia and the overly large epaulets, it was startlingly clear that Lina Inverse was a woman of diminutive stature.   
_ Her dress is probably two sizes smaller than mine! _Amelia whined to herself._ Oh… I am so fat!!_   
Zelgadis and Gourry had been standing to the side, debating the probability of Lina actually showing up in anything other than her standard clothing – if she showed up at all. At this point, Gourry had lost on both counts, and was now taking second watch for a week.   
Silence rippled through the room, and one by one, all the Dragons turned to look at the small figure in gold at the top of the stairs.   
I can't do this, I can't do this, I can't do this, I… can't believe that!   
By the foot of the stairs was a very human and extremely good-looking Xellos with Lalli on his arm. Lina had never seen the Trickster Priest look so… happy. As almost all eyes watched, Lina descended the stairs carefully. The heels were just a bit high, and they did nothing to help her height. She didn't know why the Dragon maiden had insisted she wear them. When she reached the bottom, she turned to Xellos and smiled faintly. "I don't think I've ever known you to be… so… cheerful… Xellos. It's nice."   
Xellos blushed faintly, trying to assume a sheepish expression, but failing miserably as Lalli swatted him lightly. "He's just a big pushover, Lina."   
"Oh, I know," Lina said dryly as she turned to find her friends. "Trust me, I know."   
Amelia walked over to Zelgadis and Gourry just in time to overhear a side comment made by Zelgadis.   
"For someone that tiny to contain that much energy and ability…" There was an edge of envy in the chimera's voice.   
"Mister Zelgadis, you shouldn't envy Miss Lina. She may have a lot of energy and ability, but I'm worried about the price she'll eventually pay for that. She's made a very dangerous alliance," Amelia said, watching Lina approach.   
Lina managed not to fall as she walked up to her friends and looked at them. Noting the various expressions, she put her hands on her hips, narrowed her eyes and said "What?"   
Gourry answered for them all, blithely headed into territory that could very easily get him killed, blasted to bits by a fireball, or smacked with a slipper.   
"It's that we've never seen you so lovely, Lina."   
Zelgadis quietly stepped sideways, forcing Amelia to move as well. "Excuse me, Amelia." He had no desire to be involved in what was probably a forthcoming fireball. And, he might as well protect Amelia… he was doing that a lot lately…   
Lina allowed about four seconds of consideration to the thought of blasting Gourry sky-high for his comment. But she was wearing a particularly nice dress, and Gourry was dressed entirely too well to be fricasseed. So—   
"Lina! You look so lovely!"   
Everyone turned to look, then immediately stared at Filia.   
She looked like a cake. More specifically, she looked like an over-decorated three-tiered wedding cake. Layer upon layer of lace started at the hem and worked its way up to her waist, then cascaded down the back of the gown.   
"Filia… your dress…." Lina began, trying to think of something nice to say in return.   
She was spared by Filia's enthusiasm. "Isn't it just lovely? Anyway, are you enjoying the ball? Aurin's been introducing me to everyone, and no-one hates me for being a Gold Dragon. In fact, they've all invited me to stay!"   
Lina shook her head slowly. She had once thought that Amelia was flighty… and then she'd met Filia.   
"And anyway, you have to promise to stay… there will be some announcements that you absolutely must be here for, okay, Lina?" Filia continued.   
"Yes, Filia. I'll stick around," Lina replied through her teeth. She wasn't sure how many hours of this she could stand. _If only they'd given me some flat shoes and not these miserable heels!!!_   
Filia smiled, then turned to see Aurin calling for her across the room. "Oh dear.. please excuse me.. there's someone else that he wants me to meet…" Without really waiting for a reply, she flounced off towards the prince. 

The party was well underway, the first of several dances being led by Aurin and Filia. Lina had even been reluctantly dragged into leading a dance with Gourry… and she'd managed to dance quite well. But off to the side of the ball, someone wasn't dancing. Xellos was considering his options. He was human only for the night, he supposed, and that could have its advantages. For one whirlwind evening, he could just simply enjoy himself in a fashion that he hadn't been able to for a very long time. He didn't think that Lina and her group would cause trouble for him… but what would happen if someone else decided to cause trouble. After all… every Dragon here knew who he was… and what he normally was…   
"Xellos…"   
The now-human turned to see the Crown Prince of Kuroryu standing there with his arms folded. Oh good. Aurin was going to make trouble. Just what he didn't need…   
"Hello… Aurin." He gave a half-laugh. "Nice party…"   
"You were there. The day before the Golden Dragons came."   
Oh dear. This wasn't going to be fun, was it? "Well… yes… I'm afraid I was…" Xellos answered, sticking to honesty.   
"Yes. I know you visited often. Lalli has always been attracted to things that were… shall we say... of a darker nature," Aurin replied calmly.   
"Where is she? She told me that she was just going to get a drink…" Xellos looked across towards the refreshments table and saw only Lina Inverse and her group. Would they even help him if he was suddenly in trouble?   
"She'll be back in a few moments. I asked her to take care of something so you and I could have a moment to talk. I know you are human tonight, Xellos. And I also know that you have worked with and against Lina Inverse in the past. That alone is why I am not banishing you from my sight immediately."   
Xellos thought absently that now would be a good time to get nervous… but somehow, all he felt was a quiet calm.   
"But know this: If there is any trouble this evening, and I discover that it was you who caused it…" Aurin continued.   
Xellos swallowed. This was the part he'd been expecting, and he'd rather not think of that the Ancient Dragons were capable of. Especially while he was human.   
"Aurin! There you are! I've been looking all over for you! It's almost time to make the announcements!" Filia came rushing up, a flurry of lace and ribbons that set Xellos off into a fit of snickering.   
"Why… Filia… you look so… flouncy!" Xellos struggled to stop laughing.   
"Why you filthy Mazoku!" Filia hollered, pulling out her trusty mace.   
Xellos took a step backwards, knowing that he deserved it, but it was bound to hurt anyway.   
"Now, Filia… you know he doesn't mean anything by it. Go on and let me take care of him," Lalli interrupted, laying a gentle but extremely firm hand on Filia's mace.   
Filia turned to blink at Lalli for a moment, then put the mace down and sighed. "Just this once… because we are at a party, after all."   
Xellos watched Filia turn away and hide the mace again, then he was sidetracked by Lalli taking him by the hand and leading him out to a small garden balcony that overlooked the courtyard of the Palace.   
"Xellos… I don't think I can stand to lose you again…" She let go of his hand and turned away to walk across the garden and lean on the railing and look at the roses beside her.   
Xellos' eyes softened and he shook his head. "No, Lalli… it would never work. Aurin would forbid it."   
He was still by the archway, and within the ballroom, he could hear voices calling for attention as there were announcements to be made. He only half listened to them, paying more attention to Lalli. She was truly upset about this, and he wondered if coming to Kuroryu had been such a good idea after all.   
"I know he'd forbid it. But what can I do? I'd only get in your way if I went with you… you're a powerful Mazoku… and I'd be nothing but an inconvenient Dragon…" She put both hands on the balcony's railing and sighed.   
One of the announcements caught Xellos' full attention for a moment, and he didn't answer her right away. Instead, he echoed the announcement dully. "Aurin and Filia are getting… married?"   
Lalli half-turned looking up and over, several emotions crossing her face. "He wouldn't dare! He'd welcome a once-enemy for himself and deny me the very thing that I want?"   
Xellos held out his hand. "Now, Lalli… I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation. I just can't think of it right now."   
Lalli shook her head, eyes hardening. "No. He's made his choice, and I'll make mine." 

Inside the ball, Lina was clapping politely for Aurin and Filia. Honestly she hadn't been surprised, but something caused her to turn and look out towards a half-curtained archway. _That's strange… I could have sworn I felt a Spell of Magic Binding…_   
She started to work her way across the room, the others lifting eyebrows and following as well.   
"Lina?" Zelgadis asked. "What is it?"   
"I don't know, Zel… but something isn't right. We'd better be prepared…"   
Xellos shook his head as he looked into the room for a moment, unaware of the magic spell, and then turned back to Lalli. "Lalli!" His eyes snapped open, and he stepped forward, towards her.   
She hovered for a moment in the air, hanging just above the balcony railing before the Spell of Magic Binding cut off her magic, and she fell.   
He couldn't move fast enough. He was human, after all, and his Mazoku powers were locked far away from him. It seemed like an eternity, watching her fall. He wasn't even truly aware of the redhead in gold who shot past him with a hastily-cast levitation spell.   
All he knew was that it was too late. 

* * *

  
**Disaster?!**   
**Too Late!**   
**The Death of a Dragon**

Lina kneeled beside Lalli in the still silence that had fallen over the courtyard. Above, in the gardened balconies that led off of the ballroom, others were gathering, but she paid them no attention. Her focus was the broken Dragon maiden on the stone before her. She wasn't a Healer, and she knew before touching the maiden's shoulder lightly that the injuries would be far beyond what she could do unaided.   
Amelia and Zelgadis landed beside them, supporting Xellos and Gourry. Lina's gaze didn't flicker as she tried to cast what healing she knew, hoping that the extra strength from the Lord of Nightmares would aid. It wasn't doing anything but flowing back onto herself. It wasn't like the Lord of Nightmares was exactly a healing spirit. She needed Cepheid's magics more. "Amelia…"   
Amelia didn't need the rest of the sentence, kneeling beside Lina to cast Healing on Lalli. She felt the magic feed back on itself, and looked at Lina. "I'm blocked… my spell isn't doing anything…"   
Zelgadis frowned, looking at Xellos. The Trickster Priest was obviously in shock, and Zelgadis decided that he wasn't going be of much use that way. "Xellos, are you just going to stand there?" Zelgadis demanded.   
Purple eyes turned to stony blue ones. "I… can't do anything… I can't even sense the spells that Lina and Amelia are casting…"   
"What's going on… Lalli? You!" Aurin leapt at Xellos, catching the off-guard now-human by his throat and throwing him to the ground.   
Filia clasped her hands, casting a holy spell, but it too failed to heal Lalli. Instead, it resulted in Lalli crying out and opening her eyes. Where before Lalli was unconscious, she was now awake and aware of everything. Including the pain of her broken body. And the fight between Aurin and Xellos. Aurin was winning.   
"Aurin… leave him… alone…" she whispered, trying to reach out, but failing.   
Aurin froze, for a moment, hand wrapped around Xellos' throat. Dropping the hapless priest, he turned to look at Lalli. "Why?" He demanded.   
The chimera sighed and reached down to pick Xellos up off of the stone flagstones. It was amazing how useless Xellos was… with or without his powers.   
Lina supported Lalli as the Dragon maiden tried to sit and look at Aurin. "Because… because I love him… and I can't be with him…" Lalli's head fell back against Lina, and Lina again tried to cast a healing spell. Whatever Lalli had cast before taking to the air above the courtyard was certainly preventing a good deal of magic. And she couldn't find any trace of a magic absorption spell or amulet.   
"Fool," Aurin snapped, a trace of that which had become Valgarv showing in his eyes. "What do you want with a Mazoku anyway, Lalli?" He flung his hand out to indicate the still-shocked Xellos who was now leaning on Zelgadis. The chimera was doing a very good job of restraining himself: there was no telling what could happen at any given moment with Aurin as angry as this. And he had no desire to face off Aurin. Having faced off Valgarv, he knew all too well what an enraged Aurin might be capable of.   
Xellos moved forward, finally recovering himself and stepping away from Zelgadis to falter as he kneeled beside Lalli and Lina. Taking the Dragon maiden from Lina, he shook his head. "Lalli… what were you thinking…? You had everything you wanted here, except me. I'm not worth throwing it all away. We're different sides of the same thing… we'd never work out."   
Lalli reached up weakly and brushed a tear off of Xellos' cheek. Was he crying? Lina wondered as she slipped backwards some to allow them room.   
** That was unexpected.**   
**_ Yes, now what will you do about it?_**   
**It seems that I have little choice, doesn't it?**   
**_Indeed. After all… it is after midnight…_**   
Lina frowned suddenly. Something was tingling at the edge of her mind, something a whole lot bigger than she was, and she was afraid that it might be Aurin. If he lost his fine control and turned into Valgarv… she'd have a lot more on her hands than just trying to protect Xellos.   
The magic hit Xellos with a blinding rush, unseen and unfelt until it was too late. As everyone watched, the magic enveloped the Trickster Priest, and the transformation from human back to Mazoku was vivid. A darkness beyond what Lina would call dark rippled over Xellos, changing his appearance. His clothing rippled with the wave of darkness, turning back into the Priest's outfit that he favored. His staff materialized beside him on the ground, and his eyes opened, head lifting to look up. "Mistress…?"   
** It is your choice, Xellos.**   
He looked down at Lalli. She was dying, it was indisputable. He could see that now with his Mazoku powers restored to him. There was no way that he could stop her from dying as a Dragon. He looked over to Aurin, pain etched into his normally un-emotional eyes. "Will you just let her die? All because she fell in love with a Mazoku? Isn't she more to you than that?"   
Aurin closed his eyes, remembering the very first argument between himself and Lalli.   
"You will not see him again!" He rounded on her, still recovering from the shock of finding her with that… Mazoku.   
"But why, Aurin? I love him…!" She protested, clutching at her skirt to keep herself from picking something up and throwing it at him.   
"Because you're my sister! You're the second heir of Kuroryu and how do you think it would look for the Crown Princess of Kuroryu to be involved with a Mazoku? The very Mazoku who destroyed so many Dragons?" He shouted at her, rage filling him at the thought of the two kissing.   
She turned red, though not from embarrassment. "I don't care about that! I'm in love with Xellos, and there's nothing that you can do about it."   
"You're wrong, little sister, there's a great deal I can do about it. If you persist in seeing him, I will remove you from the family and reduce you to my servant. Do you understand me?"   
"Go ahead! I don't care. Do what you will!" And with that, she had stormed out of the room, leaving him to watch her in a blind rage.   
The second memory came unbidden, the most recent of arguments held in her room before the ball… 

"You understand that he'll be Mazoku again in the morning. It makes no change whatsoever." He had said quietly, arms folded as he watched her fuss with her hair.   
"Even after he helped free you and Kuroryu? Helped us restore the Ancient Dragons, you would deny him that?" She glared at him from under uncooperative hair.   
"It is not he that I care about."   
"That doesn't matter. I'm not your sister anymore, you were extremely clear about that. And I refuse to listen to you any longer. You're distracting me from getting ready for the ball."   
"You mean getting ready for Xellos. Have it your way for now, Lalli. But when the ball is over and the morning dawns, what will you do, I wonder." He turned and left the room. He hadn't known what she'd planned. 

Aurin opened his eyes, returning to the present and looking at the Mazoku holding his broken sister. "It would never work, Xellos. She can't be Mazoku. Dragon and Mazoku don't mix. I ought to know."   
Xellos recoiled as if Aurin had reached out and hit him. Lalli smiled faintly, awareness beginning to fade. "It's okay, Xellos… it… doesn't bother me…"   
"Well it damn well bothers me," Lina snapped, drawing the attention of everyone who wasn't injured. She looked off for a moment, head down, eyes on the stone floor.   
**_Ah… there she is. It's time, Zelas._**   
** Yes, it would seem so. Almost all of the players will be in place.**   
Lina lifted a hand, magic coalescing into a ball of light, the light lifting into the sky and shining down upon the group on the courtyard stones.   
He saw how badly injured she truly was and made his choice then and there. It would either work, or kill her at once, and either way was preferable to this lingering death that she was now caught up in.   
Magic came to call, a darkness offsetting the light provided my Lina's hands, and Lina looked over to Xellos, her mouth falling open. _He wasn't… he couldn't!_   
**_Let it be, Lina. It will be as it should be._**   
_But how? She's a Dragon… it will kill her!_   
**_No… the Beastmaster has made her choice. No longer will Xellos be the General-Priest._**   
_What?_ Lina thought incredulously, looking at the Mazoku curled around the dying Dragon. Before she could call the power of the Lord of Nightmares to her hand, Xellos and Lalli were swallowed into darkness that could not be penetrated by her light. For a heart-stopping moment, Lina could see Xellos holding Lalli in bas-relief, the Mazoku looking away in pain.   
Xellos didn't know what was happening. He'd started to try to give some of his powers to Lalli, but they'd been pushed back, as if rejected by her Dragon blood. Determined, he'd tried again, and felt the gentle hand of Zelas Metallium pull him away from her. He couldn't resist, couldn't argue. He could only watch. In despair, he reconciled himself to her death, and turned away. He couldn't watch her die in his arms.   
Aurin watched with a sinking feeling. It would fail, just as he had known it would. He hadn't stopped her for dislike of Xellos. He'd stopped her because it would be her death. But she'd seen through that at last, and made it a moot point. Had he been so wrong?   
Gourry just stood there, clueless. He didn't understand a thing except that Lalli was dying and that was upsetting Xellos. He knew that if it were Lina lying there, broken, he'd be upset too. But he didn't know what to do about Xellos. After all… he was the powerful Mazoku, the Trickster Priest. And Gourry was only human. Sort of. Well… mostly.   
Amelia sat there, fighting tears as she clung to Filia. The two were dissolved into the princesses that they were, unable to offer aid or anything worth calling useful. Instead, they were each trying not to bawl on each other.   
Zelgadis sighed, folding his arms. This was not what he had wanted to do tonight. He was going to escape the ball early, get some sleep, then head out in the morning. Now he'd have a funeral to go to, no doubt having to be the one that Amelia would be sobbing all over… great.   
The darkness evaporated into the nothingness from which it came, leaving Xellos sitting there, cradling Lalli, who was still in his arms. For a long time, no-one moved. Then, ever so slowly, Lina lifted her head and looked.   
Xellos was still looking away, unable to stop the tears that fell down his cheeks. His Mistress had stopped him because she knew it would have been a waste, hadn't she? And now he had to bury the only woman he'd ever truly loved. The only woman who could break the barrier of emotionless Mazoku and remind him what it was to feel emotions again.   
A hand touched his shoulder. "Xellos…"   
He looked up to see Lina Inverse looking back at him, eyes unreadable. "Come on, Xellos. Let's go inside…"   
Someone was pulling Lalli away from him. He fought for a moment, then saw that it was Aurin, and gave her over without comment. He couldn't look at the Dragon, couldn't look her brother in the eyes. Instead, meek and seemingly broken, he allowed his hands to slip away from Lalli and rose to follow the Chaos Knight. 

Aurin took his sister into his arms and turned to walk back into the Palace. He knew Filia was behind him, he could hear her footsteps soft and hesitant on the stone floor. "She will be buried as befits the Crown Princess of Kuroryu."   
"I am sorry, Aurin… there's nothing that I could do…" Filia whispered.   
"I know. What she cast… it is a spell that only our family knows how to cast. It locks out our magics and turns other magics away. It is the Kuroryu Spell of Sealing. It is what we cast when… when we wish to die." Aurin answered, resting Lalli on the table in the center of the room.   
Filia clasped her hands and lowered her head. "I wish there was something I could do…"   
He placed his hands on the table, bowing his head and closing his eyes. "No… there is nothing to be done for her. Not even his power could grant her life. And somehow, I feel that she is happier for it. She's away from me."   
Filia placed her hand on his shoulder. "Aurin…I…"   
He turned to look at her a mixture of anger and sorrow turning his golden eyes liquid. "Was I that wrong, Filia? Would it have worked, do you think? The Dragon and the Mazoku within me… their very natures warred…"   
Filia took him into her arms. "Aurin… It's over. It's all over now. You're tired, worn out… you need to rest. Come…" She began to gently pull him away.   
He went along with her, like a little boy whose favorite toy has been broken, disconsolate and lost.   
Lina turned out the light in Xellos' room and stepped out into the hallway, closing the door softly behind her. He'd been like a puppet with its strings cut, just going through the motions. He'd taken his shoes off, and collapsed into the bed with the rest of his clothing on. Lina hadn't pressed the issue, she had an inkling of how he'd felt. She'd felt much the same when Phibrizo had stolen Gourry away from her.   
Three pairs of eyes looked at her as she leaned on the door. "I don't know. I've never seen him like that. I didn't know… didn't have a clue that he was ever in love with her."   
Amelia sniffled. "It's so sad, Miss Lina… why can't Mister Xellos be happy?"   
Lina sighed. "Come on. Let's all get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a very long day, I fear." She turned and began to walk down the hallway to her room, listening to the tell-tale footsteps that told her that the rest of them were doing the same. 

The room was dark, but the figure that materialized beside the table didn't need light to see. There was the soft clink of bracelets as the figure rested her hand on the shoulder of the one lying on the table.   
**Awake. It is time.**   
Lips parted to take a breath, and golden eyes opened. Confusion crossed the finely featured face, and before words could be uttered, a finger was gently placed across her lips.   
**Not yet, child. Tonight, you will come with me.**   
There was a flicker of magic, and the room was empty. 

* * *

  
**Morning Dawns**   
**The City Wakes**   
**Time to Say Goodbye**

Lina was the one who had to drag the unwilling Mazoku out of bed.   
Xellos had awoken to a gentle shake, with the impression of having had a horrid dream, and upon rolling over, noticed that he was still fully clothed. Lina Inverse was standing there looking at him, and he came crashing back into the realization that it hadn't been a dream. Lalli truly had thrown herself off of the balcony last night, and he was far more alone now than he could ever have imagined himself being before. He immediately closed in on himself and turned over with every intention of trying to hide. He didn't even feel like using his magic to leave. He was depressed, and not even getting to enjoy it. With a half-hearted 'mmmf', he pulled the covers over his head.   
"Oh no you don't. You're getting out of bed, Xellos, if I have to fry you in the process. If you don't see this through, how will you ever move on?" Lina said, pulling the covers right back away from him.   
"I don't want to move on. There's no point in it anymore," Xellos muttered into his pillow, refusing to roll over.   
There was a sudden weight beside him as Lina sat on the edge of the bed. "Look, Xellos, I know how you feel. When Hellmaster Phibrizo took Gourry away from me… it was all I could do to get up the next morning. And when I did, I cried."   
"You could get him back. Lalli's… gone. Forever…" Xellos choked into the pillow.   
Lina took the pillow away with a yank. "I didn't know that I could. I'm not saying that you can't mourn her, Xellos. But would she have wanted you to waste the rest of eternity like this? Hiding from the rest of the world? You and I both know all too well that Beastmaster won't let you do that. You owe it to Lalli to keep on going."   
He rolled over and looked at her bleakly.   
She grabbed his arm, giving him a no-nonsense tug. "Now come on. You don't do this for you. You do this for her."   
"For her." His voice was empty. "How can I ever do anything more for her? She's…gone. Not just dead. If she were dead, I'd have a chance of finding her. But… I can't find her spirit. It's like she never existed."   
Lina sighed, letting go of Xellos' arm. "Look, Xellos… I know what it's like to lose someone close to you. When I was eight, I was best friends with a girl who lived nearby. We used to play like ordinary kids, even though we were both in the same beginners' Black magic classes. One day, after class, she was sitting on the wood that had been placed over the old well that the city had condemned, and when the wood broke… she fell in."   
Lina shivered, suddenly seeing her childhood friend vanish into a cloud of wood dust and down into the black hole of the well underneath all over again. "I was right there. I watched her fall, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. At eight, we hadn't learned much of anything beyond the fireball spell. They told me that she had died instantly."   
Xellos looked away. Lalli hadn't died instantly… she'd been there for the fight with Aurin…lingering in pain…   
"You know Xellos, for days, I'd look for her in all of our secret hiding places. I somehow thought that she'd be there waiting for me, laughing at the wonderful trick she had played. It wasn't until I went to her funeral that it hit me. She was really gone. And I swore that I'd learn enough magic to keep that from ever happening again."   
But it had happened again, and they both knew it. Lalli had cast a spell to prevent the others from being able to help her, and no amount of magic in Lina's hands could stop it.   
Lina sighed and stood, walking towards the door. "I don't know why I told you that. No… I guess that I told you that to make a point. You have to say goodbye sometimes, whether you want to or not." She rested her hand on the doorknob. "And I can't force you to go, Xellos. I just hope that you don't end up making a mistake." 

She closed the door behind her, closing her eyes and wincing. The look in his eyes… would he ever be the same?   
"Well?" Zelgadis asked, having been waiting outside the room for her.   
She shook her head in reply and stepped away from the door. "I've done what I can. Either he comes out, or he doesn't. I can't make him do anything." _Why did I have to draw the short straw?_   
The chimera nodded and looked across the hall to see Amelia sighing sadly, standing by Gourry. Amelia looked reasonably distressed, but Gourry, as usual, looked pleasantly clueless.   
Lina sighed deeply. "Well… let's just go on to breakfast. Given enough time, anyone can bounce back from anything. Let's just hope that he bounces back sooner than later."   
The little group nodded both to her and to themselves and all turned to wander quietly towards the breakfast hall.   
"Um… Miss Lina…? We didn't really get to know Miss Lalli… but I do think that she loved Mister Xellos…" Amelia said quietly, looking at the carpet as they walked.   
Lina sighed. "Yeah… and I'm pretty sure that he loves her. We'll just have to wait and see how much."   
Dispirited, the little group arrived at the breakfast hall. Aurin was already in his seat, a silent and almost sullen figure at the head of the table. He looked up when they walked in, and motioned them to sit. Filia, seated beside him, offered the faintest of smiles where Aurin couldn't see. She, at least, was glad to see them.   
One by one, they took their seats at the table, as silent servants began bringing out plates of food for the new arrivals.   
Time passed slowly, as it is always given to do in as uncomfortable a situation as this. No-one spoke. Concerned, Lina and the others glanced frequently around as they ate. This was hardly the way they would have liked to depart Kuroryu… and halfway through the meal, Lina put down her glass and sighed. Xellos hadn't shown up, and she was afraid that it would do nothing to help ease the rift. She opened her mouth to ask a question, but paused when she felt something just outside the room.   
A door opened, and everyone turned to see Xellos standing there, staff in hand. Lina let out a sigh of relief, and watched the Trickster Priest quietly approach the table and take an empty chair. He waved off a servant who tried to offer him food, however. He was simply there to be there, Lina knew. After all, Xellos only ate to seem as human as the person he was sitting next to. Unless it was Zelgadis. Then he simply ate.   
"She will be buried as my sister, Xellos. I have forgiven her that much." Aurin's voice was even as he set his glass of water aside, his food now left forgotten on the plate as his attentions turned to the Mazoku.   
Xellos simply nodded, either unwilling to reply, or not having anything to offer. Lina couldn't decide which.   
"Your presence within Kuroryu will be tolerated until the evening. After which, I will expect you to leave and never return again. Is that clear, Xellos?" the Crown Prince of Kuroryu said.   
"It's completely understandable," Xellos finally replied. He reached out and took up a cup of hot tea and began to sip it… a habit he had picked up from Filia, no doubt. It enabled him to look uninterested.   
Lina watched the two carefully. Aurin was bound to try something, she realized. But would Xellos take the bait? She seriously doubted that Xellos would take Aurin up on anything at all. Even a sincere apology. Not that Aurin would apologize to Xellos…   
"I do not care whether or not you understand, Mazoku. I would not allow your presence at all except that I know now what you meant to her, as much as it galls me," Aurin snapped.   
Filia lifted her hand to rest it on Aurin's arm, but he shook her away as he scowled at Xellos.   
"I would not remain within your city if there were anything else to keep me," Xellos replied calmly, hands folded over the staff in his lap.   
Lina watched Aurin's eyes darken, and decided that she ought to get worried. Beside her, she could feel Gourry and Zelgadis both tensing for what could end up as a fight at the breakfast table.   
"Then perhaps you will leave immediately after the service. Or sooner. Perhaps even right now." Aurin baited Xellos, openly looking for the fight now.   
The Mazoku somehow couldn't rise to the occasion. "I refuse to fight over the memory of Lalli."   
Aurin started to stand, intent upon stalking over and wringing some emotion into that damned Mazoku. 

** You'd better do something.**

"Aurin!" A voice called out from the side archway. "That is enough." 

Aurin stopped beside his chair as everyone else turned to look and see who had called out the Crown Prince of Kuroryu so boldly, and several emotions flickered through the room. Disbelief, amazement, fear, concern… all rippled through Lina faster than she could identify and name them all.   
The woman in the archway stood quietly, arms folded, her golden eyes resting steadily on Aurin. Long black hair cascaded freely down her back, and the aura of power was evident to even Gourry. Lina considered this carefully. This could be very bad… for this was not L-Sama, or Beastmaster… and this unannounced person felt just as powerful as Xellos. Only Lina knew that the Trickster Priest had no fight in him just yet.   
The visitor had a deep purple shirt much like Lina's own shirt, caught by a black belt that held a rather impressive looking sword. Under the belt was a skirt... no, deep purple pants with a black overskirt that was open in the front and long in the back. It gave the impression of a cape, without having the weight on her shoulders. Lina wanted one.   
Then the realization hit Lina with the same force as a Dragon Slave at point-blank range.   
That was Lalli.   
Lina dropped her fork.   
The woman, Lalli, stepped into the room and both Aurin and Xellos rose, staring. Aurin's eyes narrowed and he stepped forward. "Lalli…? What have you done?"   
Xellos simply opened his eyes and stared. He knew what had happened, could tell without even looking at her, but how? Her Dragon blood…   
"I have been… taken into the service of the Beastmaster Zelas Metallium, Aurin. You know that I've always been drawn to the darker things of life. So, here I am," Lalli replied.   
Xellos finally walked up to her and looked at her quietly. Ever so slowly, a smile touched his lips. He reached up and touched her cheek thoughtfully, not saying a word, just looking into her eyes.   
Aurin struggled with himself for a moment. He didn't like it, didn't want it, but he didn't truly have a choice, did he? It was already done. With a sigh, he nodded his head, conceding to the truth. "Yes, Lalli. No matter what I did to protect you… you were always drawn to the darker side of everything."   
Lina shook her head, casting a glance around her companions. Amelia was trying not to cry. No doubt the princess of Sailune would shortly be bubbling about love triumphing over all. And Lina would have to restrain herself from beating the girl.   
Zelgadis was, well, Zelgadis. Through the years, Lina had learned to read the stony chimera, but this time she wasn't sure at all what was going through his head. He was just there, watching quietly. She'd have to bother him about it later. Come to think of it, she had a lot to pester him about, too.   
Gourry had no idea what was going on. That was painfully clear. In fact, it was made all the clearer when Gourry leaned forward around Zelgadis, looked to Lina and asked: "Who's that?"   
Lina facefaulted, Zelgadis put his head on the table, and Amelia burst into tears.   
"That's Lalli, you idiot!" Lina snapped. "Oh for crying out loud, aren't you paying attention? Stop being such a jellyfish!"   
As Lina reached over him to swat Gourry, Zelgadis managed only to sigh in disbelief. The swordsman never changed.   
"It's so wonderful, Mister Gourry!" Amelia sniffled. "They're finally together!"   
Lina rolled her eyes. Here it came, the big long dramatic moment of Amelia bubbling over with love and justice. One of these days, I just know I'm going to end up gagging Amelia.   
But Amelia didn't continue because Gourry chose that moment to get it. "Oh! I see! They got married last night!"   
Lina fell out of her chair.   
Zelgadis didn't even bother to lift his head, he felt Lina's spell charge-up and kept his head down. It was safer, and he wasn't involved that way.   
"That's it, I've had it. Fireball!"   
The singed Gourry was just what was needed to break the tension, and everyone except Aurin, Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis burst into peals of laughter.   
"I have one requirement if you intend to pursue this, Lalli," Aurin began, his voice low, golden eyes dark and narrowed.   
Everyone stopped laughing, looking up to Aurin. Lina sighed softly. _Oh boy… here we go…I knew he wasn't going to let go that easily._   
"The two of you will absolutely have to get married. And only then will you win, Little Sister," he said offering a rare and genuine smile at Lalli.   
Lina crumpled onto the floor again. This was just too much. Way, way too much. She should never have gotten out of bed this morning.   
Lalli and Xellos stared at Aurin. Then, in a burst of magic she had not shown before, she took to the air, darted across the room and hugged Aurin happily.   
"Thank you, Aurin… it means so much to me…"   
Xellos stood there, with a bemused smile on his face. So that's why his Mistress had pushed him away. His magic couldn't overcome the barriers of Lalli's Dragon blood… but Beastmaster's as well as the Lord of Nightmare's… the thought gave him a momentary concern. The two of them working together again? Oh my. That could bring more trouble than he wished to deal with at the moment. Well… at any given moment, honestly. And it also explained why he hadn't been able to find Lalli's spirit. She'd never truly died. Again, the Beastmaster had done well in taking care of Lalli.   
Filia cleared her throat, and everyone turned to look at her. "I think, that given what has happened, another party is in order!"   
Lina sighed as she stood, putting her hand on her forehead. Filia just couldn't come to terms with reality, could she? And Lina didn't really want to wear another dress…   
**_An excellent idea, Filia ul Kuroryu. May we attend as well?_**   
Lina spun to see the Lord of Nightmares and Beastmaster Zelas Metallium standing there in the doorway. _Oh great…here comes another dress._

* * *

  
All's Well   
That Ends Well   
And Far Enough Away 

Lina didn't mind weddings. Receptions were great, there was usually a lot of food to eat… and the chance to see Xellos get married was what she considered to be one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Then again, lately she'd had way too many of those types of experiences. She was sitting back in her chair, chewing thoughtfully on a meatball when Filia came by with the Village Elder. Lina swallowed hastily and rose in time to meet them.   
"My dear girl, you cannot possibly understand how much I appreciate you. Not only did you rescue our lovely princess, but you've also freed us from Shabranigdo and restored our heritage by returning Aurin," the Elder began.   
"Eh… it had its moments… but I am pleased to be of service." _Especially when it comes with gold attached, and is hand delivered just before the wedding…_ Lina thought to herself.   
The Elder chuckled, mostly to himself, and was about to make another comment when Amelia, without a trace of her usual and customary decorum, burst in on the discussion with a frantic cry for Lina.   
"Miss Lina! He's gone! We can't find him anywhere!" The Princess of Sailune drew up short when she saw Filia and the Eldest of Kuroryu, but still threw Lina a pleading look.   
"Who's gone, Amelia?" Lina asked, but had a sinking feeling that she knew already. It was just the sort of escape he'd seek.   
"Mister Zelgadis!" Amelia said worriedly.   
_Oh great. He would choose now, of all times to go running off again. I still haven't talked to him!_ Lina muttered to herself. Well, there was nothing for it, she'd just have to take care of this. With an apologetic look, she turned back to the Elder. "I'm sorry, please excuse me… but if Zelgadis is missing…"   
The Elder nodded to her. "By all means, dear girl. He's the quiet one who didn't like the crowds, if I recall. Go, find your friend."   
Lina gave a hasty little half-bow, then on a whim, lifted into the air and vanished.   
"What a delightful child, Filia… absolutely delightful…" the Elder said, patting the surprised Dragon Maiden's hand as he turned to find Aurin.   
Amelia stood there, staring at the empty space that had been Lina. 

He paused long enough to pull out his water bottle and take a drink. Half-closing his eyes as he tilted back his head, he only partially registered someone phasing into the air in front of him. That was Xellos' trick, and he figured that the Mazoku was coming to see him off.   
"Just going to leave without saying goodbye, Zel?" Lina chided as she landed lightly in front of him, small whorls of dust rising into the air.   
It hadn't occurred to him that it might be Lina. Suddenly, Zelgadis found himself leaning forward and coughing in a splutter in order to keep himself from breathing any more water than he already had.   
"Lina! You really shouldn't-" * cough * "sneak up on people like that! It's not polite. You're not Xellos!" Zelgadis scowled as he collected himself, capping the canteen and glowering at her.   
Lina found herself blushing. She hadn't even considered the fact that she might spook him by popping out of the air like that. In fact, she wasn't sure how she'd done it. But here she was, and she ought to apologize…"Ano… I'm sorry, Zel…" She paused, recalling why she was out here. "But it wasn't very nice of you to just vanish without saying goodbye!"   
"You always end up finding me," he replied, putting the water canteen away and dropping his hood for now, to talk with her. He didn't have to hide his appearance from Lina.   
Lina put her hands on her hips and looked at him. "So… what gives, Zel? Something hasn't been right since we took those tests, and I want to know what happened."   
He blushed, looking away from her. "My test is none of your concern."   
"You're blushing!" she exclaimed, arms straightening and hands forming fists as she fussed. "That's it, you'd better start talking, Zel."   
He eyed her for a moment, then seeing that she meant it, he sighed and resigned himself to telling her. All of it. He knew it was chancy, knew the risks of destroying the friendship that they shared, but somehow he couldn't hide it from Lina. Maybe it was that stupid test. Hell, maybe he still liked her. 

Back at the reception, things were moving cheerily along, but Xellos still wondered in the back of his mind what he could possibly have done to deserve such a gift from his Mistress.   
** Because you have done your work for me so well in the past. You are granted that which you desire, and I gain another player in the game.**   
Xellos, long used to her appearances and disappearances, turned idly to regard Zelas Metallium. _You are up to something, my Mistress._   
She smiled, taking his hand and leading him into a dance. **Indeed, Xellos. Aren't I always?**   
Mazoku and Goddess danced, as the onlookers talked quietly amongst themselves. If Beastmaster Zelas Metallium was indeed among them, they ought to be honored. Unnerved, but honored. History was in the making, and they weren't sure if it was to be good or bad.   
Amelia collapsed into a chair beside Gourry and put her elbows on the table, chin in hands. 'I'm worried about Mister Zelgadis… he hasn't gone off like this in a very long time. At least, the last time we all parted, we all said goodbye."   
Gourry stopped eating long enough to look to Amelia. "I wouldn't worry about him, Amelia. He's a good swordsman, and we always run into him."   
Amelia watched Gourry cut another ribbon of steak into what he called 'bite-size pieces.' She called them monstrous and would cut them each into four pieces. "I know, mister Gourry, but I still worry."   
"He's fine, Amelia. Lina has already caught up with him," a voice interrupted.   
Amelia turned to look at Lalli in surprise. "She has?" 

Lina was blushing furiously. Little wonder Zelgadis hadn't acted himself lately. "Um… gosh, Zel… I…" She poinked two fingers together. "I… really… had no idea…"   
"You weren't supposed to," he said dryly, cheeks almost as red as hers. "After a while, I finally understood that it was a passing thing. You didn't care about my… appearance. That's why I…" He paused, clearing his throat. He really shouldn't have told her. This could only damage the friendship they had…   
"You know, Zel… I mean… it's really flattering and all… but… something in here…" she pointed to her heart, looking at him. "Something in here broke when Hellmaster took Gourry away."   
He nodded, the blush cooling somewhat. "Yes. You and Gourry… compliment each other. I saw it when the two of you worked together to stop that ancient Golden Dragon relic. What he lacks, you are. Just like…" He lifted his head for a moment, surprised that Amelia's face should cross his mind.   
"Amelia," Lina said softly. "Awkward, bubbly, and completely in love with you, Zelgadis. I hadn't seen it until just now."   
He folded his arms, trying to look displeased, keenly aware that his relationship with Lina had just taken a turn that he'd never expected it to take. In all of his dreams, he'd never have thought that Lina would end up being a close friend. "She's the Princess of Sailune, Lina. What would I have to offer her?"   
"Maybe you ought to ask her for yourself. She's good at heart, Zelgadis." Lina paused for a moment. "Yes, she's a little young, but give her time. She's already grown up a lot since we all first met."   
Zelgadis was blushing again. "I'll think about it. But right now…"   
Lina held up her hand. "I know. You need time on your own." She paused, reaching out and grabbing him into a hug before he could react. "You be careful, old friend. I'd hate to have to pull your stony backside out of a fire when we catch up to you."   
Awkwardly, Zelgadis hugged her in return. He was a bit rough, he knew, but then he'd never had friends who actually cared before. He wasn't entirely certain what to do about it.   
When she let go and floated backwards, she was her old self again. "I'm gonna go back and let everyone know you're okay. We'll set out in the morning, I think. There's a small town around here called Tirshen, and I wanna try the food. And if we catch up with you before that… well… we'll just see how it goes, okay?"   
He watched as she vanished into the sky, and shook his head. That was practically an invitation to keep traveling with them… maybe he would. He still had some thinking to do. He drew his hood up over his head and started to walk. 

Lina popped back into existence in a chair beside Amelia and idly reached over and plucked a potato off of Gourry's plate, popping it into her mouth. When she swallowed and the others realized that she was there, she grinned at them.   
"He's fine. You know how Zelgadis is… too many people around, and he feels cramped. I can't say that I blame him, after all… there are a whole lot of people that absolutely adore us, and if one more person thanks me for returning Aurin, I'll strangle them!"   
Gourry let his fork falter in confusion. "But didn't Filia bring Aurin? Because of Xellos?" The blonde was trying to think again.   
"Don't hurt yourself, Gourry." Lina muttered as she grabbed another potato off of his plate.   
"Hey! Those are mine! Go get your own plate!" Any attempt at thought was shattered as Gourry picked up his plate and started eating again.   
Lina leaned back in her chair and considered the conversation with Zelgadis. She hadn't realized that he'd felt that way… and she found it somewhat unsettling. After all, Amelia was the one for Zelgadis. Wasn't she?   
"Miss Lina… are you sure Mister Zelgadis will be all right…?" Amelia asked Lina softly.   
Lina looked to Amelia, a strange little smile playing on her lips. "He'll be fine, Amelia. He's been on the road alone a lot longer than we have, and he's pretty handy with his sword. Besides, if things get too weird on him, he's bound to cast the Ra-Tilt… in which case, I'll probably notice it."   
Amelia frowned. "But how would you notice it, Miss Lina? I don't understand."   
Lina leaned forward to look at Amelia. "I'm the Chaos Knight, remember? It isn't hard to keep a mental eye on people anymore. Especially when it's someone I know like Zelgadis. So don't worry, okay?"   
Amelia didn't trust it, but didn't say so either.   
Lina got up to get a plate of food, and Amelia excused herself to go to bed. Suddenly the party wasn't that fun anymore, and she found herself drifting over to the window and looking out quietly.   
_ Poor Mister Zelgadis. I wish there was a way that I could help him find his cure. It would make him so happy._   
Amelia sighed as she thought back to the first time she had met him. Something about him had drawn him to her… and it wasn't the fact that he was a chimera. It was his intensity, his strength of presence and how completely in control of himself he was. And every time she looked into his eyes… She sighed sadly and decided to go to bed. 

Lina had given up on the party not long after Amelia, and she sat on the edge of her bed and pulled off her boots, thinking. What Zelgadis had said... that she and Gourry matched each other. She knew that he'd faced down the Lord of Nightmares for her, but she couldn't remember what had happened.   
**_ Do you truly wish to know, Lina Inverse?_**   
Lina looked up to see the Lord of Nightmares standing by her door, a golden reflection of herself.   
"I get the feeling that something important happened... but I don't know what."   
**_Having that knowledge will change things._**   
She snorted. "Change what? I'm already the Chaos Knight..." a thought occurred to her, and she looked at the lord of Nightmares. "Does this mean that I'm a Mazoku now?"   
The Lord of Nightmares shook her head and laughed softly. **_No. You are still yourself, still Lina Inverse the..._** She almost appeared to be considering something.   
Lina folded her arms and commented dryly: "Dragon Spooker? Dra-Mata?"   
**_Yes._**   
It was hard to glare at the Lord of Nightmares, but Lina almost managed it.   
**_You will know by morning, Lina Inverse, if you truly wish to. I am not in the habit of keeping information a... secret._**   
Lina smirked, then nodded, looking down to pull off a glove.   
When she looked up, the Lord of Nightmares was gone.   
Shaking her head, she finished getting ready for bed, and fell asleep with little trouble. 

_ She looked at Gourry, completely aware that it was his spirit that called her back out of the darkness of Chaos, back to the mortal realm that they both lived in. And she knew why he had been able to, knew the bond that circled them both._   
_ And she kissed him._   
_And the world changed._

She sat up in bed, eyes wide, fingers on her lips. _I remember..._

And then she lay back down, staring at the ceiling with a smile. Not too long until morning. She'd think about it then. Maybe. 

Morning in Kuroryu found the now-trio of adventurers in the courtyard of the Palace, ready to travel to parts unknown. Amelia had been worried the night before when Lina had returned alone, but Lina had waved her off, telling her that Zelgadis just needed some time on his own again.   
And now, they were saying good-byes, cheerfully waving to Aurin and Filia as they headed out of the Gate. No-one knew where Xellos and Lalli had gone… but everyone was convinced those two could easily find anyone they wanted.   
"So, where are we going, Lina?" Gourry asked.   
Lina grinned. "Well, there's this town nearby, and it's said to have really great food. And who knows? Maybe we'll run into Zelgadis on the way!"   
She took off into a run, the other two slightly behind her, and as she looked back, Lina noted the smile on Amelia's face.   
She only hoped he'd be there. 

FIN 

* * *

  
**Commentary on Slayers: The Ancient Temple of Kuroryu**   
**By Lina Inverse**

  
  
  


Chapter One: 

Now let me get this one thing straight: Unlike what everyone else thinks, I'm not always hungry. Yeah, I know it /seems/ like I'm always hungry… but I'm not. Sometimes I just want to taste the food!   
I have to admit, I had no idea what this 'missing princess' deal would turn into, but then again, the vast majority of my adventures I just don't see coming. And this   
one was no exception! I'm still not sure who invited us across the gate, but I'm pretty sure that it was Lalli.   
  


Chapter Two: 

It wasn't really that big a surprise to see Xellos, but he likes it when you act all shocked and stuff. But what I don't get is why he wasn't willing to help us out at first.   
I mean, later on, he's mostly the one who made the biggest impact on the others… but at the start, he wasn't much more than an annoyance. Granted, that's nothing   
new for him.   
The princess was disappointingly easy to find, being that she was sound asleep in the largest hall of the place. I had expected a harder search. However, when I   
look back on it, she was only the 'tool' that Shabranigdo used to bring us into the game, so to speak. The kid was better than most, though. She didn't whine and   
snivel… in fact, I think the entire time we were in battle, she was reading the history carved on the walls. She'll make a good leader, in time.   
That ultimate secret… well, if you've read the story, you know what it was.   
  


Chapter Three: 

Amelia's grown up a lot. I mean, she's not the bra- er… princess who liked to pose and lead off with lengthy prose before she managed to fall flat on her face in   
front of the enemy. And when she told me about her test, I was kinda surprised that she didn't try to take the golden Dragons on all by herself. It's a good thing she   
didn't, though. Her spell, whatever it was, allowed the whole story to continue. Lalli wasn't supposed to live, after all. She told me that she didn't know what spell   
she cast, that she wasn't thinking about it, just cast it. It makes me wonder what levels of magic Amelia would be capable of with the right teacher.   


Chapter Four: 

Gourry's dumber than a stack of bricks. When he told me about his adventure, I did my best not to get lost in his logic about intelligence, then I just gave up. But   
that he saw my sister… that scares me. It scares me a whole lot that Nee-chan seems to be keeping track of me. I wonder what she thinks of me now…   
And what's the deal about this guy calling Gourry an Elder? Gourry won't explain it, and Xellos just smiled that damnably annoying smile of his and told me it was a secret. I told Lalli that she was lucky I didn't fry him right there. She reminded me that he'd probably enjoy it. I'd forgotten about that. Explains a lot of why Xellos hung around and let me get all those hits in on him.   


Chapter Five: 

Zelgadis. Zelgadis… Zelgadis… Zelgadis.   


Chapter Six: 

What a set-up! I didn't know that Xellos was capable of love! But there it is… for all to see. What a colorful history our Mazoku friend has. Maybe one day I'll pin   
him to the wall and he'll tell me all of it. He'd enjoy that, I think.   


Chapter Seven 

I don't like being jerked around, and that's exactly what the Black Dragons did. But afterwards, I can see why. It's not like they could openly ask for help. If they   
had, Shabranigdo would have destroyed them.   
I didn't figure out why they called me Kira, at least, not until later. And I wasn't expecting to find another fragment of Shabranigdo. Right then, I knew that my life   
was forfeit, and that I was echoing the actions of Kira. This was how she had died, and I'd been taken back into time to follow in her steps.   
But I was wrong.   


Chapter Eight 

After the fact, I'm kind of flattered that it was Xellos who took it into his own hands to keep me from being killed. Not that he moved fast enough, mind you, but at   
least I saw that the others actually did care enough to try to face down Shabranidgo too.   
The thing with Aurin and Valgarv… I'd have seen it coming if I'd been there. It was part of the after-effect of Amelia's spell. It made a lot of sense.   
When Shabranigdo forced me out of my body, I knew that it was going to be a no-win situation. You see, it's what happened to Rezo. Shabranigdo's rebirth would   
be in the host body when he posessed it. Rezo didn't have enough offensive left to fight, but I hadn't been driven by the Dark Lord for years. I'd been my own, and   
made a bit of power for myself. But I knew that alone, I couldn't win. And the odds were in my favor with the Lord of Nightmares. I'd almost controlled the spell before Hellmaster Phibrizo threw that spell at me.   
But I still didn't know precisely what the Giga Slave entailed.   


Chapter Nine 

I never in my wildest imaginings thought that the Giga Slave was actually a summon spell. It never occurred. But it was, so cleanly cast, that She came to me. I actually understood the warnings in the Claire Bible /after/ I accepted her offer. It was a warning to those not of Chaos.   
I didn't give the power much thought at the time, only the knowledge that I could not allow Shabranidgo to be reborn. I did what I had to do.   
In the process, a whole lot of things started to make sense.   
It turns out that the kid, the princess of Kuroryu was left behind in the future Kuroryu to read the history as we created it. And when we came back, she was right there waiting for us. She knew we'd be there.   


Chapter Ten 

I certainly didn't expect the Goddesses to grant us repeat visits! And Xellos as a human had some very tempting implications, but I figured that both the fact that he   
/was/ human for the night –and- he had come to help me against Shabranigdo… I'd be nice. Call it reverse payback. He knows he owes me.   


Chapter Eleven 

I hate dresses. I mean, I absolutely hate them. I hate the fact that I'm small, I hate the way skirts swirl around your feet… and I absolutely loathe those shoes!   
But beyond that, the ball was enjoyable. Up until the wedding announcement. Then everything very quickly went to Hell.   


Chapter Twelve 

We were trapped in the continuation of Hell, watching the scene play out like some play that was being put on before us. All I could try to do was keep Aurin from killing Xellos. But how could I keep Xellos from killing himself? Lucky for me, that thought didn't occur to him.   
He clung to her as she died, and there was not a damned thing that we could do about it.   
All I could do was go to bed and hope that something would come to me in the night.   


Chapter Thirteen 

We'd drawn straws, and I was the unlucky one who got to go wake up Xellos. I don't know why I told him about my childhood… it just came to my mouth and fell out without me being really aware of it. I told him I was making a point with it… but the words seemed really hollow to me.   
And what a shock when I figured out who the arrival was. Lalli…no, Elena, in full Mazoku form. Xelas Metallium was absolutely right in selecting her for General. The woman has presence. And that sword only added to it.   
Sadly, my little group reacted in the general manner that they do. Amelia effervesced, and Gourry got it totally wrong. In the end, I had to fireball Gourry, and that   
set almost everyone into a relieved laugh.   
And leave it to Filia to come up with another reason to wear a damned dress.   


Chapter Fourteen 

Sure. Zelgadis has a sense of timing. He knows exactly when to leave. I'm still not entirely sure how I managed to get there and back, but I figure it's much the same   
way that Xellos uses his abilities. It's not real magic, mind… there's no spell, no power-up, and nothing drags at your spell-casting ability.   
What hit me was the fact that Zelgadis liked me. I'm not usually dense, but that one showed me as dense as Gourry. It shocked me, but we both knew that it wouldn't work. And maybe Zelgadis will get used to the fact that Amelia likes him a whole lot.   
Besides, I remember now.   
I kissed Gourry. 


End file.
